XXIV DESCRIPTION OF A MINUTE HYMENOPTEROUS FROM 'CALCUTTA

By N. ANNANDALE, D.Se., Superintendent, Indian Museum.

On August 25th while I was examining some microscopic specimens in oil of cloves, a minute insect appeared in the field of vision; having fallen into the oil as minute often do. An ~xamination showed that this little , which is perhaps the smallest insect yet known, beloni!ed to the family Myrmaridre 'and was related to the species described and figured by West­ wood 1 as Alaptus exeisus. I have therefore ventured to describe it as the type of a new species of the same genus, for it is unlikely that it will be discovered by any professed student of the Hymenoptera, or, indeed, by anyone not engaged in microscopi­ cal work in . Alaptus magnanimus, sp. nov. (Plate xxiii.) Size very minute (length 0'2I mm.; expanse, including wing fringe, 0'85 mm.). Head viewed from above ~hort and' broad, the antedor margin appearing truncate owing to the fact that the anterior face is ver­ tical; viewed from in front deep. Antennre minutely hairy, with nine joints (in the d'); the basal joint subcylilldrical, taper:ng slightly at the tip, bending upwards and outwards from its point of origin, which is situated far forward on the head; second joint much shorter, pear-shaped, with the narrow end proximal; third and fourth joints subcylindrical, the latter nluch the shortest in the antenna; the other joints (fifth to ninth) pear-shaped, narrower at the base than at the tip, gradually increasing in size. Eyes large, elon­ gatelyoval, separated by lnore than their own transverse dialneter, curved when viewed from the side. Three ocelli, one close to the inner margin of each eye and one in the middle of the vertex; a minute bristle in front of each of the lateral ocelli. (The mouth parts are not visible in the type.) Thorax.-Pronotum transverse , angulate, alnlost linear,. .pro- duced at either side and bearing at the tip of the proJectlon a bunch of minute hairs Mesothorax much longer, transversely lozenge-shaped but with the posterior angle replaced by a bro~d concavity. Scutellum narrow, especially in front; the antenor margin depressedly convex forwards; a single bristle 011 either

1 Trans, Linn. Soc. Lond" Zoo1. (2), vol. i, p, 586, pI. Ixxiii. figs. IO,II (1 879). 300 Records of the Indian-Museum.; [VOL. III, 190 9.] side of the disk near, its centre. Postscutellum imperfectly sepa­ rated transverse, band-like, with a single bristle on either side. Meta~otum large, transverse, with the anterior margin sinuous and the posterior convex. (The- ventral surface and the sides are concealed in the type. ) Ul 1:ngs.--Fore wings long and slender with the tip obliquely rounded; the ba.se very narrow, becoming somewhat dilated just behind the point at which the margin~l fringe commences on the posterior margin. The hairs that 'form this fringe numbering about 45, long and slender, becoming sborter towards the base of the wing on both margins, the longest (at the tip) being rather less than half as long as the wing without the fringe; within the fringe, near the edge of the wing, a row of· minute bristles, and two similar bristles near the centre of the disk; on the anterior surface a single long bristle at the widest PSI-rt of the w~ng. Posterior wing almost linear, very little dilated distally; the tip narrowly rounded; the fringe without an inner row of bristles, consist­ ing on the anterior margin of 5 short hairs followed, distally, by about 20 long ones, and on the posterior margin of about I I moderate hairs, which' are only a little longer at the distal end than. towards the base; the basal half of the posterior margin bare; a minutely serrated ridge runs down the middle of the dis- tal half of the wing. . Legs moderately long, with the femora, ,tibire and tarsi sub­ equal; the tarsi minutely hairy, consisting of 5 subequal joints and bearing two minute claws at the tip. .The tibire of the middle and hind legs clothed with minute recumhent hairs and bearing a pair of small bristles at the tip;\ those of the middle legs bearing a single, longer bristle on the anterior surface. Abdomen' (d") stout and rounded; the sides clothed with scale­ like hairs; the first dorsal segment bearing a single bristle on either side near the posterior margin; the penultimate segment with a pair of unequal bristles on either side, the longer bristle being posterior to and nearer the middle of the segment than the shorter one. Remarks.-As the specimen was not discovered until it had fall~n into clove oil, which had rendered it partially transparent. I cannot describe its coloration in detail. The head (including the antennre), th~ thorax and the abdomen appear, however, to have been dark in colour, and· the limbs pale. The wing fringes have evidently been dark also, and it is just possible to detect a faint white band running round those of the fore wings at a short dis­ tance from the base of the hairs. Unfortunately both antennre w,ere broken in mounting the specimen, but notes were taken on their structure before this occurred. In the type (Reg. No . .!.~~.!. of the Indian Museum insect register), which is mounted on a glass . slide". for microscopic . examination ' only the first two joints remain ~n s~tu, With the third to sixth joint..'i of one antenna free. Except the left fore wing, the wings have also become separated, bu t all are preserved. < o- - ....---

A laptus magnanimus. cI', )( 240, with the third to sixth joints of the antenna more highly magnified. XXV THE- INSECT FAUNA OF TIRHUT

I.-RHYNCHOTA HETERQPTERA.

'By ~: MAXwELL-LnFROY, M".A., F.E.S., F.Z.S., Imperial Entomologist.

INTRODUCTION. In another place (Indian· Insect Lite) I have discussed the general difierence there is between the insect fauna of tropical India, and- that of the sub-tropical moist hill slopes. I have also indicated the faunal zones of India as I believe thev occur with I"IgaYa: ..-to insects. In this memoir, a beginning is b~ing made to e1abor~te these subjects, first by enumerating the insect "fauna of a place lying well within the tropical area, secondly by contrasting that fauna, as far as may be, with neighbouring tropical areas and by discussing its origin. As is abundantly clear from a perusal of the localities in the "Fauna of India ," nearly all the species are frQm sub-tropical or temperate places, very few from tropical India. The localities in the "Fauna)' volumes do not, except in such as have been published so recently as to include our collections, ··enable us to contrast the tropical and sub-tropical faunre; but the enumeration of the fauna of one spot, very carefully worked for a series of years, will afford some data. The regional faunre of India are, except in Lepidoptera, very little known; a compiled l1st of the fauna of one place (with other records of occurrence in tropical localities) will therefore be of permanent value; we have the material for all orders; we hope to do the Aculeate Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Rhyn­ chota Homoptera; we also hope to do the renlaining orders, when we have secured the co-operation of systematists in working out our collections. In this memoir, I enumerate the Heteropterous fauna of Pusa, following the order of the volumes on Rhynchota, by \1.1. L. Distant, in the" Fauna of India" ; I give other localities from which specimens have been collected and are in the Pusa collections, giving dates of capture where possible. I have included species found at Chapra by Mr. M. Mackenzie where we have not found them as Chapra lies in the same area. Pusa lies in the (' Gangetic Plain' West" north of the Ganges, in the Tirhut division of Bel1g~1; it i~ at a distance of over 50 miles from the Himalayas, and so is well removed from any sub-tropical area; it lies nearly 40 miles north of the Ganges, and is in a fiat, densely, cultivated tr~ct which. should have a uniform fauna (see Ind'tan Insect Lt/e, page 25). 302 Records of the Indian Museum. [VOL. III,

PENTATOMID£~

PLATASPIDINlE.

I. Brachyptaty s pauper, Voll. Pusa. 3-viii-05-II-viii-oS-23-vii-oS. Podanur, Madras. 30-vii-07. Khasi Hills. iv-07. The Fauna gives Ceylon, Andamans, and th~' Malay Archi-· pelago. It -is clearly not a sub-tropical species, but a w~l1-~arked tropical one probably.

2. Brachyptatys subaeneus, Westw. Pusa. 2-viii-oS-26-vi-07-vii-08. The Fauna gives this a wide distribution; it is known, for in­ stance, from Mungphu and Calcutta, though not from.jany other place in th~ Himalayas. It would probably be a Mruayan or Indo­ Chinese specie~? penetrated up through Bengal and esseritiaUN tropical. . 3. Copto$oma cribrarium, Fabr. Pusa. 14-v-oS-'23-vi-07-vii-06. Surat. I5-xii-03. Muzaffarpur. I9-xi-04. Ranchi. xi-06. N adiad. 6-xii-03: Mahim. 22-ii-04. Jala1pur. 7-v-04. Jullundur. Ig-vii-05. _ The Fauna gives Calcutta, Bombay, BaTwai, Burhanpur , Bangalore, Nilgiris, N~gas, Burma, , Formosa. . In India, a very common tropical species, clearly -not originat­ ing in sub-tropical India. Its season for activity and breeding is July to October as a rule, but the imago lives over and is captured at all times. .

4. Coptosoma siamicum, Wlk. Pusa. 16-vi-oS-22-vii-

s. Coptosoma indicum, Leth. Pusa. Ig-ix-06. Palamau. ix-06. Igog.] H. MAXWELL-LEFROY: Insects of Tirhut.

So small as to escape notice. The Fauna gives Ceylon and Siam.

If the species of the sub-family occurring in Sikhim or the Western Himalayas are listed, it will be seen that there are ten species, not known from Pusa, occurring. there.

SCUTELLERINlE. 6. Cantao ocellatus, Thunb. Pusa. 13-xi-05-8-vii-07-13-xi-05-5-vi-07. Rangpur. 23-vii-05. Nilgiris. 7,000 feet. 2-v-04. Khasis. 4,000 feet. v-oS. Not a common species in the plains; essentially a tree insect. The Fauna gives tropical and sub-tropical localities, and it occurs morE; abundantly in the latter, where its food is more _plentiful. 7. Scutellera nobilis, Fabr. Pusa. 20-iii-07-1-vii-08-24-vii-06-3 r -vii-oS-6-viii-oB. Gojra (Punjab). II-vii-06. The Fauna localities are essentially tropical also.

8. stollii, Wolff. Pusa. 8-vi-oS. Tribeni. 23-iii-oS. Buxar Duars. v-07. Matheran. iv-08. Chindwara. 2I-iv-oB. The Fauna localities are tropical and sub-tropical, and the speci~s has probably spread up from Malaya.

9. Chrysocoris patricius, Wlk. Pusa. xii-04. Chapra. x-04. Cawp.pore. 14-x-oS. Dehra Dun. ix-06. Raipur, C. P. vi-07. A small species found on rice. The Fauna gives Ceylon, Manipur, Khasis and Burma. A tropical species.

10. H otea curculionoides, Herr .-Schaff. Fusa. 3-xii-04-B-vi-05-17-i-05 -22-i-05. N ongpoh, Khasis. 2,000 feet. vii-0 7. . A rare species found singly on the surface of the sod" etc. Records 01 the Indian Museum.- [VOL. III,

Given in the Fauna as Khasis and Nagas, Burma, Ceylon, Malay Peninsula, etc. Derived probably from Malaya.

II. Arctocoris incisus, StaJ. Pusa. 26-vi-08. A very rare species, that occurs apparently just as an example of how little we really do know of our fauna. The Fauna gives" Bengal," probably North-West India or Himalayas.

There are thirteen species, occ~rring in the Himalayas nearest to Pusa not found in Pusa and, as before, the species found occur more in' Malaya than elsewhere.

GRAPHOSO~lATIN1E.

12. Podops coa1'ctqta, Fabr. Pusa. 6-i-oS. Salem, Madras. 14-V111-o7. Baroma, Kamrup. 2-iii-_o7. Helem, Assam. A widely spread tropical species, the Fauna giving Tranque­ bar, Ceylon, Burma, Malay Peninsula and Java.

13. Podops dentata, Dist. Pusa. vi-07. The Fauna gives only Calcutta and MaIda.

14. Podops limos a , Wlk. Pusa. vi-07. The Fauna gives Calcutta, Tenasserim.

IS· Storthecoris nigriceps, Horv. Pusa. 17-ii-05-B-vi-oB-vii-oB-7-iii-oB. Comes freely to light in June, July; is found abundantly in soil during January and February. The Fauna gives only Khasi Hills and Sibsagar.

16. Amauropepla denticulata, Hagl. Pusa. 6 to 13-ii-oS. Found in soil. Els~where known only from AsSam and Burma.

17· Melanophara spinilera, Westw. Pusa. 3-ii-05. Like the others, found in soil in the cold weather. The Fauna gives Bengal, Calcutta and Penang. 1909·] H MAXWELL-LEFROY: Insects 0/ Tirhut. This sub-family is not well represented in the Himalayas, Podops serrata, Vol1., being the only species in Sikhim; it is not in our fauna, which is essentially tropical and originate in Burma or Malaya. CVDNINlE. 18. Stibaropus molginus, Schiodte. Pusa. S-vii-07. Mokameh. x-06. This species is extremely abundant at the Ganges, forinstance on the Mokameh ferry steamer at night at the arc lights. The Fauna only records North India and Burma.

19. Stibaropus callidus, Schiodte. Pusa. IS-vi-og-IS-vii-07. Sitamarhi. IS-i-oS. Muzaffarpur. I-x-04. Is found in soil in winter. Is sometimes extremely abund­ ant, after rain, at light. Nymphs are found deep in the soil. The Fauna records Serampore, Calcutta, South India, Burma.

20. Stibaropus minor, Wlk. Pusa. IS-vi-og. Mokameh. x-06. Cha pra (Mackenzie). Recorded in the Fauna from North India and Burma.

21. Lactistes rastellus, Schiodte. Pusa. vii-07. Rampur Boalia. 28-ii-07. The Fauna records it from Serampore, Burma, Tenasserim, . 22. Cydnus indicus, Westw. Pusa.-Abundant from June to September, after rain, at light. Found in concealment in soil, fallen leaves, etc., all the winter. Surat. 2o-i-04-September, abundant. Somastipur. 16-i-oS. Janakpur. Io-i-oS. Raniganj . iii-06. Kasauli. 6... ii-08. Shoranur. 3I-vii-07. The Fauna gives Bombay, Burma,-also South Africa, Mada- gascar, Malay Archipelago, Australia. This is the notorious 'c Gundy" of India which comes to light in such itnmense and irritating profusion.' All the records, except Kasauli, are of tropi­ cal1ocalities. Records of the Ind'ian Jl,fuseum. [VOL. III,

23. Cydnus nigritus, Fabr. Pusa. 12-vi-06-I-vii-o8. Cuttack. vi-05. J orhat. vi-07· The Fauna gives Burma, Eastern Europe, Co chin China, China and Japan. 24. Cydnus varians" Fabr. Pusa. 8-vi-07-13-vii-o6-6-ii-o6. The Fauna records Bengal, Bombay, Ceylon, Burma, Tenas­ senm. 25. M acroscytus subaeneus, Dall. Pusa. 24-i-06--22-vi-o6. Buxar Duars. v-07. The Fauna records Bombay, Deccan, Burma, Tenasserim, the Malay Archipelago, Japan.

26. Geotomus pygmceus, Dall. Pusa.-.A.bundant in July, August, September. 25-ii-08-v-o8. Palamau. ix-06. Muzaffarpur. 18-x-04. Surat. 2-x-04. The Fauna records 'Bombay, Ceylon, Burma, Malay Archi­ pelago, China, Japan, Hawaii , New Caledonia.

27. Brachypelta aterrirna, Forst. Pusa.-Found from February to April, in each year, in the ripening crops. Appears to be a cold weather species, active only then. The Fauna records Hardwar and Bombay; common in the Palrearctic Region, abundant in North Africa, Queensland. I I should class this ,vith the" cold weather species" of Palrearctic origin, which have wandered in and are active only in our cold weather and just after. More of this class follow.

28. Chilocoris nitidus, Mayr. Pusa. 17-vii-08. The Fauna records Kashmir and Japan.

This sub-family is very little represented in Himalayan sub­ tropical localities , so far as the records show. Our fauna is largely Malayan and tropical, vdth one marked Palrearctic immigrant. I909·] H. MAXWELL-I,EFROY: Insects 01 Tirhut.

PENTATOMINlE. 29· Halys dentatus, Fabr. Pusa.-A11 months. Poona. 12-xi-03. Cuttack. xi-05. Palamau. 7-ix-06. Bombay. 2o-iii-oS. Surat. 12-vi-04. Amraoti. 1.5-iii-04. Katni. ii-07. Ranchi. xi-06. Dacca. i-06. The Fauna gives a wide distribution in tropical and sub-tropi­ cal India. This insect is found on tree trunks, on or under the~ bark. 30. Laprius varicornis, Dall. Pusa. 12-vi-oB-30-vii-oB. Surat. B-viii-04. Katni. ii-07. Khasis. ? 'The Fauna gives Sind, Khasis, Cochin, Calcutta, Bombay. The species appears to be almost confined to tropical India.

31; JEliomorpha lineaticoUis, Westw. Pusa. 3-xi-05-27-vi-o6-2-ix-o7-2-iv-o7. Bombay. 14-iv-05. Palamau. ix-06. Ranchi. xi-06. Balaghat. iii-07. Munshiganj. 2.1-i-06. The Fauna gives Bengal and Bot" Ghat. A tropical species apparently. 32 . Adria parvula, Dist. Pusa. vii-oB. Cawnpore. r6-x-05. Purulia. xi-on. Surat. 8-vii-04-r-vi-04-r -~ii-03-7-vih-o4-26-xi-o 3--2 4-v-04 5-iii-04· Palamau. ix-07. The Fauna records Ranchi Khandala and Burma. This dis- tribution would point to the tropical areas and the sub-tropical hill areas they enclose (i.e., exclusive of Himalayas, Assam, etc.).

33. M ecidea indica, Dall. Pusa. 27-v-06-26-vi-o6. Lyallpur. Records 01 the 1 ndian Museum. [VOL. III,

The Fauna gives Bombay and Poona. This insect is fairly conspicuous and if it occurred in the Himalayas 'Yould probably have been found. 34, lEnaria elongata, Da11. Chapra (Mackenzie). The Fauna records North India, Burma, Tenasserim, Philippines. 35. Halyomorpha picus, Fabr. Pusa. rr-vi-06. The Fauna gives a wide distribution, including the Khasis, Calcutta, Burma: "a common species throughout and found in China and Japan."

36. Dolycoris indicus, St~1. Pusa.-Very commonly found from February to May. Found sparingly for rest of year. Palamau. 30-ix-06. Lahore. 20-iv-07. The Fauna gives Naga Hills, "Darjiling, Bombay, Deccan, Bangalore, Calcutta. Probably universal in tropical India; it is a species that lives on green herbage and is easily confused with Agonoscelis nubila. The closely similar Dolycoris baccarum, Linn., does not appear to occur at Pusa.

37. lEschrocoris tuberculatus, St~U. Pusa. r6-x-06-rg-viii-oB. The Fauna records Sikhim, Garo and Naga Hills, Burma. A rare species in Pusa.

3B. Eusarcocoris guttiger, Thunb. Pusa. rB-iii-05-23-iv-07-19-v-05-9-iv-06-2-vii-06-vii-oB- 24-xii-04· Surat. 24-v-04. Be]gaum. iv-oB. Simla. x-06. Muzaffarpur. r2-x-04. Dacca. ro-i-06. Balaghat. 111-07. ~hapra. 20eX-04. N asik. 26-ii-04. The Fauna records Sikhim, Naga Hills, Bombay, ,Calcutta, Ceylon, Burma, Tenasserim, China, Japan; a widespread species in tropical and sub-tropical India. I909·] H. MAXWELL-LEFROY: Insects 01 Tirhut.

39. Eusarcocoris ventralis, Westw. Fusa. 3-iii-oS-30-ix-o6-x-06-28-xi-04-Io-iv-07-8-xi-oS- viii-04· Chapra. 2o-x-04. Muzaffarpur. IS-x-04. Surat. Ig-viii-04-I7-i-04. Khasis. 17-iii-07. The Fauna includes Calcutta, Bangalore, Ranchi, Bombay, Burma, Malay Peninsula. This is a tropical species; compare with E. montivagus, Dist., the very distinct hill form of the Himalayas, found from Assam hills to Mussoorie. 40. Eusarcocoris dubius, Dall. Pusa. 2g-ix-06-12-viii-05-2 I-ix-08. The Fauna records Tenasserim and Berhampore (? in Bengal). I am a .little doubtful of the identification but believe all mine to be this tropical species.

4I. Plautia fimbriata, Fabr. Pusa. 26-iii-06-27-v-o6-14-vi-o6-S-vi-o7-30-vii-o8-4-vii-07. Surat~ 26-i-04. Arrah. Ig-iii-08. In the Fauna, a wide tropical and sub-tropical distribution in India, and also in Malaya, China and Japan. The Fusa dates imply nothing more than the fact that, like other bugs found on plants, they are commonly caught in those months because all crowd ,on to the small irrigated crops and are seen, when they are unnoticed later in the more abundant herbage.

42. Antestia cruciata, Fabr. Pusa. 18-iii-06. Nagpur. 6-vi-05. Kasauli. 6-v-08. Matheran. iv-08. Igatpuri. iii-oB. Nilgiris. vii-05. The Fauna records Sikhim, Calcutta, Bombay, Nilgiris, Ceylon, Tenasserim, Malay Archipelago. A species well known to feed on fruit, peaches, plums and coffee-berries; it is an abundant sub-tropical species, but is found sporadically in the plain~ ; possibly the occurrence of fruit orchards or wild fruiting bushes such as ber (Zizyphus iuiuba) affect its occurrence. 43. Apines concinna, Dall. Fusa. i-v-07-vi-07. The Fauna gives Hardwar, Bombay. A rare tropical species. 310 Records 01 the I ndian Museum. [VOL. III, 44. A gonoscelis nubila, Fabr. Pusa.-General throughout the year and extremely abundant on all green herbage and plants such as jute, maize, etc. Some­ times sucks forming grain. Purulia. xi-06. J orhat. v-07· Balaghat. iii-07. Dacca. Io-i-06. Munshiganj. 17-1-06. Sitamarhi. I5-i-05. Nilgiris. 7,000 feet. v-04. Chapra. X-04. The Fauna records it over a wide area from Kashmir to Bombay and Burma, Malay Peninsula, China, Japan; a tropical and sub­ tropical species. 45. Eurydema pulchrum, Westw. Pusa. 3-iv-05-1Z-iv-06-z7-iii-06-I8-v-06. Khasis. . In the Fauna, is given as a sub-tropical species. Possibly an immigrant from sub-tropical Himalayas.

46. Bagrada picta, Fabr. Pusa.-In all years, very common on ripening mustard, rape and allied crops in February, March, as on cabbage and similar Cruciferce. The Fauna gives Hardwar, Tirhut, Calcutta, Manipur, Bombay, Ceylon. , It is common in the Konkan, the Deccan, Central Provinces, United Provinces, and a small form is common at Lebong. Essen­ tially a cc cold weather species," not possibly from climatic caus,es so much as that its food plants enable it to breed then.

47. Placosternum taurus, Fabr. Pusa. I-vii-05. Mussoorie. viii-06. Yercaud. The Fauna records it as a hill species from Sikhim, N. Khasis, Cochin and Burma. It is rare in Pusa and may have been a chance immigrant, as it is a very conspicu~us form. -

48. Catacanthus incarnatus, Dru. Pusa. g-vi-05-I':'v-08. Mahim. zz-ii-04. Khasis. Poona. 1g-vi-0 5. Kanara. viii-07. I909·] H. MAXWELL-LsFROY: Insects of Tirhut. 3rI The Fauna gives it a wide spread in the hills but also includes Calcutta, Karachi, Bombay, Pondicherry. ' It is a Malay Archipelago species, also from Japan and Korea. I t is the most conspicuous tropical form and is, in the plains, rare.

49. N e:~ara viridula, Linn. Pusa.-In all months. Surat. 2-iv-04-7-ii-04-IB-xii-03. Coonoor. I7-iv-04. ? Shevaroys. viii-07. Coimbatore. 27-vii-07. Bilaspur. ii-07·. Ranchi. x-06. Purulia. xi-06. The Fauna records a11 India, and almost the whole world. .\ tropical, sub-.tropical and temperate species.

50. Piezodorus rubrofasciatus, Fabr, Pusa.-All months. Bilaspur. ii-07. Katni. ii-07. Surat.. IB-xii-07-21-i-04. Bassein. 23-xii-03. Nadiad. S-xii-03. Burdwan. ii-oS. The Fauna records Sikhim, Assam, Bengal, Bor Ghat, Ceylon, Upper Burma, Malaya, Japan, Australia. A well-established tropical and sub-tropical species, found abund­ antly on low vegetation.

51. Menida histrio, Fabr. Pusa. I-ix-04 . .Chapra. 30-x-04. Cuttack. 23-xi-oS. Dacca. Ig-i-06. The Fauna gives Calcutta, Bangalore, Burma, China, Formosa. A tropical. species , as opposed to the sub-tropical M varipennis, Westw., and M formosa, Westw.

In this sub-family we have twenty-three species in our fauna, while there are at least forty sub-tropical species known. from our nearest sub-tropical area that are not known from Pusa, though we have specimens of most of them in the collection and could recognise them. Our fauna here is essentially tropical. 312 Records 01 the Indian Museum. [VOL. III,

AMYOTEIN~ (ASOPIN~). 52. Cazira verrucosa, Westw. Pusa. Ig-vi-06. Khasis. vii-07. Nilgiris. v-06. Calcutta is the only tropical locality given in the Fauna. It is a sUb-tropical species apparently.

53. Cazira ulcerata, Herr.-Schaff. Pusa. 3I-viii-05-2I-iv-o6. The Fauna gives Sikhim, Calcutta, Coromandel, Siam 8J1d Hong-Kong. 54. Canthecona lurcellata, Wolff. Pusa.-All months. Daltonganj. viii-05. Lebong. ix-oB. A widespread species, wholly predaceous on caterpillars and breeding when these are abundant. The Fauna records are tropical mainly. It probably occur~ throughout tropical India.

55. Canthecona parva, Dist. Chapra. Daltonganj. Vll1-o5. The Fauna records Bengal and Mysore.

56. Picr01rzerus griseus, DaB. (obtusus, Wlk.). Pusa. 17-vii-05. 'Dhe Fauna records only Sikhim, Nagas, Burma.

57. A ndrallus (A udinetia) spinidens, Fabr. Pusa. 22-ii-07-IB-iv-07-14-vi-06-23-v-o5-vi-o7-27-viii-o8 -I3-x-07-I-xi-oB. Lebong. ix-oB. Nagpur. The Fauna records Sikhim, Assam, Khasis, Ranchi, Bangalore. It is probably common over part of the tropical plains; outside India, it is in the Malay Archipelago, Fiji, Tahiti, etc.

5B. Amyotea (Asopus) malabaricus, Fanr. Pusa. Io-x-oB. N agpur. 24-vi-06. The Fauna records Bengal, Calcutta, Bombay, Bangalore, Assam, Burma, Java, Borneo, Sumatra and the Philippines. I t is not a common species in Pusa. 0 19 9·] H. MAXWELL-LEFROY : Insects 01 Tirhut. 3I 3 59. Zicrona cterulea, Linn. ,Pusa. 3-iv-05-18-ix-08-I7-viii-08. Mussoorie. viii-07. Chandpur. i-08. The Fauna gives Kashmir, Bengal, Naga Hills, Burma, Japan, China, Malaya and the· Palrearctic Region. Its distribution may be determined by that of its food, H altica cyanea, etc.

In this sub-family, nearly all the species of neighbouring areas are found here, even if only sparsely.

TESSARATOMIN;g. Of the dozen species found in the Himalayas, not one has been found in Tirhut. The sub-family is markedly sub-tropical, with not one tropical species.

DINIDORIN;g. 60. Aspongopus ianus, Fabr.

Pusa.. 2S-i-06-iv-07-3 I -V-OS-22-vi-oS-S-vii-oS-viii-0 7- 7-x-06. Sawan. 4-x-06. Surat. B-vii-04. Somastipur. IS-ii-oS. Muzaffarpnr. B-x-0 4. Daltonganj. vii-oS. The Fauna records tropical and sub-tropicallocalities in India, also Ceylon and Burma.

61. Aspongopus obscurus, Fabr. Pusa. 12-vii-07-27-vi-o7-20-ii-o8-g-ix-o7. Ranchi. xi-06. J orhat. v-07. Daltonganj. viii-oS. Sawan. 4-x-06. Rungpur. Siripur. 18-viii-05. Helem. viii-oB. Khasis. vii-07. The Fauna records Assam, Bombay, Calcutta and Bangalore. A tropical form.

PHYLLOCEPHALIN1E. 62. Schizops insignis, Wlk. Chapra (Mackenzie). The Fauna gives Burma only. Records of the Indian Museum. [VOL. III,

63. Diplorhinus quadricornis, St~t1. Chapra (Mackenzie). The Fauna gives Assat;n and Burma.

64. Tetroda histeroides, Fabr. Pusa. 14-ix-08. Salem. 14-viii-07. The Fauna records are Si~him, Nagas, Burma, Malay Peninsula. 6S. M egarhynchus rostrat'llts, Fabr. "iIt,.. ' Pusa. I o-iii-oS-vi-oS-3-xi-o6-2S-xi-o4-1g-xii-oS . Siripur. 18-viii-oS. Comilla. 2I-i-06. Chapra. The Fauna records Sikhim, Assam, Burma, Malaya, etc.

66. M egarhynchus truncatus, Westw. Pusa. 30-iii-06-iii-o7. The Fauna records Naga Hills, Khasis, Burma, Malaya, etc.

In this sub-family all our species are known also from Burma.

UROSTYLINlE. None have been found; there are fifteen species known from the neighbouring Himalayas, bij.t none appear to occur in this tropical area.

ACANTHOSOMATINlE. 67. M icrodeuterus Jnegacephalus, Herr .-Schaff. Pusa. 2S-xii-08-28-viii-o7. Belgaum. iv-08. The Fauna records Bombay, Calcutta, Sikhim, Burma

68. Microdeu!erus dallasi, Atk. Pusa. xi-08-26-iv-o8-3-v-o6-,26-iv-06. Cha pra (Mackenzie). Recorded from North India.

Anaxandra and Elasmost~thus have been found, but the speci­ mens have been sent for accurate determination. In. this family, the dates of capture are not of much value since the adult is always to be found; that is, hibernation or simi1a~ I909·] H. MAXWELL-LEF'ROY: Insects of Tirhut. .3I 5 seasons of -rest are passed in that stage. We have mentioned a few "cold weather species" but such are far less marked than in other orders and this, which is so marked a feature of our tropical fauna, is here inadequah~ly brought out. The Pentatomidre are a' family which offer valuable data for faunistic purposes, because they have been more collected than any other families. The occurrence of Cydninre and Graphosomatinre, the absence of Tessaratominre and Urostylinre, are marked features in comparing a tropical fauna such as this with the nearest sub­ tropical one, and this family alone offers good reason for the fundamental I distinctions between sub-tropical and tropical faunre which I have suggested in Indian Insect Life.

Conclusions. (I) The fauna of the Gangetic Plain, West, as a tropical area, consists of a few species, well established and abund­ ant, and some less abundant. The well-established very abundant ones may be those that have accustomed themselves to dry heat and having less inter-species competition, and a greater amount of food, become abundant. That is, if a species can live at all, it is likely to do very well if its food is one of the common plants or insects, because there are few plants but many of each. That is a characteristic of the tropical zone, whereas in moist sub-tropical areas there is a greater diversity of food plants but less of each; there are in the latter more species, more inter-species competition, a greater diversity of fauna but few really abundant dominant species. One can see that;if one collects in both areas, very markedly. (2) There is a greater fauna of species living in soil than there is in a sub-tropical region. Plataspidinre, Gra­ phosomatinre, Cydninre are actually largely soil-living, root-feeding forms very largely. They are enormously abundant in this tropical fauna, very scarce in a sub­ tropical one. (3) A large percentage of the fauna is common also to Assam, Burma, Malay Archipelago. (4) The fauna owes little to the neighbouring sub-tropical ones of the Himalayas. (5) It contains a small definite number of cold weather species, derived prob~bly from North-West India (the Indus Plain). (6) There is no real indigenous fauna; all is derived from areas of· older geological formation. (7) There is a proportion of well-established species found all over the tropical plains; there is also a proportion probably peculiar to this and the Gangetic Plain, East, Records of the I ndian Museum. [VOL .. III,

not found for ,instance in the Deccan, West Coast, or Coromandel Coast. (8) A number of species established in the Gange~ic Plain, East, are not so established or found in this areal and the division of Gangetic ,Plain, East' and West, divid­ ing somewhere about Purneah, is v~id.

COREID£. COREINAt. 69. Elasmonia granulipes, \Vestw. Fusa. vi-08. Lebong. ix-08-v-09. A Sikhim species, rare in Pusa.

70. Anoplocnemis phasiana; Fabr. Pusa. 21-ix-06-22-vi-05. Siripur. 18-viii-05. Nilgiris. 7,000 feet. v-04. Igatpuri. 20-vi-04. The Fauna records a widespread sub-tropical 'distribution but includes Sibsagar, Bombay and Bangalore. The species is Malayan and Himalayan. 71. H omfEocerus inornatus, St~1. Pusa. 10-vi-05-vi-07-vi-06-14-viii-o7. Ju11undur. 25-vii-05. Chapra (Mackenzie). This species'is confined to the sissu tree and breeds on it fronl June to August. Where it spends the intervening months is not known. 'fhe Fauna gives Sikhim, Pondicherry, Burma, China.

72. H omreocerus prominulus, Dall. Chapra (Mackenzie). Surat. I6-xi-03-18-xii-03. The Fauna records 'North Bengal, Bombay, Ceylon.

73. Aschistus brevicornis, DaH. Pusa. ix-06-22-v-o5. Chapra (Mackenzie). Bilaspur. iii-07. The Fauna records North Bengal.

74. Notobitus meleagris, Fabr. Chapra (Mackenzie). Purulia. xi-06. 190 9.] H. MAXWELL-LEFROY: Insects 01 Tirhut. Ranchi. xi-06. Simla. x-07. The Fauna records Bombay, Khasi Hills, Burma.

75. Plinachtus acicularis, Fabr. Muzaffarpur . 16-xi-04. Matheran. iv-oB. The Fauna gives Bhutan, Bombay, Ceylon.

76. Cletus bipunctatus, Westw. Pusa.-All months. Surat.-April to August. Tribeni. 22-iii-oS. Chapra. x-04. Katni. ii-07. Palamau. ix-06. The Fauna, gives Bombay, Calcutta, Bangalore, Ceylon, Burma. This is the tro.pical form, while C. punctulatus, Westw., is the sub-tropical one.

77. Clet1.ts punctiger, Dall. Pusa. 14-vi-06-7-vii-o6. The Fauna gives Murree, Calcutta, Pegu, China. 7B. Cletomorpha hastata, Fabr. Pusa. 9-viii-oS. Chapra. Parel. 7-iii-05. Matheran. iv-oB. The Fauna gives Karachi, Bombay, Calcutta; except for Ma­ theran, a tropical species.

In this sub-family there is a marked absence of the large fornls so common in sub-tropical India. If they occurred they would be found, and in quite short periods of collecting in sub-tropical areas we have obtained abundant species not found in Pusa. 1'he differ­ ence is very marked and is, we believe, due largely to the scanty tree flora of the plains. PSEUDOPHL

ALYDINlE. 81. Leptocorisa varicornis, Fabr. Pusa.--Breeds May to November. See Memo1'rs Agricultural Department, Entom. II, No. I, for full1ocalities. They include all rice areas, both tropical and sub­ tropical localities. Ceylon, Burma, Malaya, China are added by the Fauna. I cannot recognise L. acuta, Thunb., or L. costalis, Herr.-Sch., but the latter I believe I recognise in some of Mr. Mackenzie's Chapra specimens. I do not include it as a distinct species.'

82. Riptortus pedestris, Fabr. Pusa. 24-viii-06-2S-ix-07-xii-o8-24-x-OS. Lebong. ix-08. Manickganj. 28-x-06. The Fauna gives Bombay, Bangalore, Ceylon, Khasis, Burma, etc.; except for Lebong it might be a clear tropical species.

83. Riptortus juscus, Fabr. Pusa. 2o-iii-05-25-ix-o5-20-iii-o5. Cuttack. x-05. Lebong. vi-og. Manickganj. 25-x-06. The Fauna gives Bengal, Bombay, Bangalore, Ceylon, Burma, Malaya. 84. Riptortus linearis, Fabr. Pusa.-All months. Balaghat. iii-07. Cuttack. xi-05. Comilla. 22-i-05. Munshiganj. 2I-i-06. Manickganj. 2g-x-06. The Fauna records such sub-tropical spots as Sikhim Bor Ghat, etc.; also Bangalore, Ceylon, Burma, Malaya, etc.' , . The species is the common one in Pusa, breeding freely when It caij. feed on leguminous pods. 19o9.] H. MAXWELL~LEFROY: Insects of Tirhut.

8S. Akbaratus fi,scheri, Dist. Fusa. 24-vii-08. Surat. 16-viii-04. Chapra. An insufficiently 'known species.

CORIZINlE. 86. Corizus rubicundus, Sign. PUS:;1. 2o-xii-07-vi-07-iii-07. Surat. vi-04-8-xii-04. Recorded from Ceylon.

87. Corizus bengalensis, Dail. Pusa. Io-vii-07-xi-07-9-iv-06-2I-V-06-IO-i-07-8-xii-o:;. Surat. Ig-ii-04. Mussoorie. x-06. Chiniot. B-vii-07. J ullundur. 12-vii-06. Buxar Duars.· v-07. The Fauna gives North Bengal and the Bor Ghat. I confess to doubt as to these being distinct and I lay no stress on their occurrence. In view of the remarkable colour changes of thi~ insect at the last moult, I cannot believe they are distinct. I have however followed Distant, who presumably has clearly dis­ tinct series. The insect is abundant at Pusa.

88. ~e'Yinetha abdominalis, Fabr. Pusa. vi-07. Kanara. viii-07. Bankura. iii-07. Burdwan. iii-06. Tribeni. 23-iii-os. The Fauna records Bombay, Calcutta, Assam, Ceylon, Tenas- serim. S. augur, Fabr., we have not found.

This falnily offers little but the marked paucity of large forms already commented on. Its members here are largely Burmese or Malayan and our fauna owes little to neighbouring sub-tropical areas' r~ther our species may be those of the Gangetic Plain, East, able to stand the greater dryness and heat of our area and migrated in from the East. 320 Records 01 the Indian Museum. [VOL. III,

BERYTID£. 89. M etacanthus pulchellus, Dall.' Pusa. vi-06-iv-07.

LYG~ID£.

LYGJaINlE. 90. Lygceus militaris, Fabr. Pt1sa.-In all months. Igatpuri. ~0-vi':'04. Bilaspur. ii-07. Bankura. iii-oS. Surat. 27-v-04. Lyallpur,. Io-vii-06. Purulia. xi-06. Madras. 12-X-07. The 'Fauna gives localities in tropicaf India, from Murree to Mysore, also Burma, J\.falay Archipelago~ A very common tropical species.

9 I. Lyg ceus hospes, Fabr.

Pusa.-~n all months. Surat. 6-v-04. Muzaffarpur. 12-X-04. Bankura. iii-06. Palamau. ix-06. Lyallpur. Io-vii-06. The Fauna records Sind, Bombay, Madras, Bangalore, Nilgiris, Ceylon, B nrma, Malay, etc.; Sind is a notable locality, as few of our species above have been recorded from further north­ west than the north-western limits of this sub-province.

92. Lygceus fimbriatus, Dall. Pusa. 26-viii-08. Recorded in the Fauna from Assam and Burma. A rare species here. 93. Graptostethus servus, Fabr. Pusa'.-All months. Surat. 6-v-04. Chapra. 22-X-04. Bilaspur. ii-07. Another Malayan species, recorded in the Fauna from Assam, Bombay, Calcutta, Nilgiris, etc., as well as Ceylon and Burma. 190 9·] H. MAXWELL-LEFROY: Insects 0/ Tirhut. 321

94. Graptostethus trisignatus, Dist. Fusa. 26-iii-05. Jorh.at. The Fauna gives Naga and North Khasi IIills, and Burma.

95. Grnptostethus maculatus, Dall. Pus a'. 28-ix-05 -2-ii-05-13-iii-05. The Fauna records North India and Narkanda.

96. AspilocorYPhus guttiger, Dall. Fusa. 19-v-06-13-iii-06. North Bengal is the only record.

97. Nysius minor, Dist. Pusa.-Common at all times. This is a species described since the Fauna volume. I am not prepared to recognise any other species in Fusa though Mr. Distant might and Mr. Kirkaldy presumably would find several. I believe that food plants and perhaps climate influence this species like all others, and I am extremely surprised a ne,,' species should be made of our form. My own feeling is that long series from different places and collected at different times will, in this genus, reduce the now existing six Inq.ian ~pecies to fewer. N ysius, as a genus, is distinct enough; its species are not, but the genus is widespread in India, both in the plains and to such elevations as 7,000 feet as .at Simla. I have omitted all records except- Pusa as I cannot satisfactorily place our other forms among the six described species.

If any sllb-family should give us data, it is this, as its members are those most likely to have been collected; we have not found Graptostethus argentatus, Fabr., nor G. dixoni, Dist., though we have the latter from several places in Central India, East. Several North Indian species, such as C tEnocoris, are not found and our fauna appears to be from Assam or Burma, as in the previous families. CYMINlE.

98. Cymus tab£dus, St~1. Fusa. Ig-vii-08. Recorded from Bengal. Mr. Distant has seen our specitnens. It is an inconspicuous ins.ect, probably not confined to Bengal.

BLISSINlE. 99. M acropes punctatus, Wlk. Muzaffarpur. 17-x-04. Recorded from North India. 322 Records 01 the Indian Museum. [VOI,. III,

100. M acropes excavatus, Dist. Pusa.-All months. Recorded from Shillong. We' have a very long series from Pusa, which mayor. may not be one species. Allowing for newly transformed individuals, which are brown, for the varying shrinkage of the abdomen according to the chitin being less or more hardened with the duration of time from 'the last ecdysis, and for varh~.tion, it is very bard to pl~ce a long series in an~" one species. At all events' most of ours agree with this species but others, e.g., M dilutus, may also occur.

101. Blissus gibbus, Fabr. Pusa. 2g-xii-04-IB-i-05-I3-vi-05. Belgaum. iv-oB. The Fauna gives Bor- Ghat and Cawnpore. A retiring root­ feeding species j seldom seen but probably widespread.

GroCORINJE.

102. Geocoris tricolor, Fabr. Pusa.-All mO,nths. Surat. 7-iv-04-9-vii-04. Lebong. ix-oS. Chapra. 22-X-04. The Fauna gives Calcutta, Ba~galore, 'Bor ,'Ghat, Ceylon, Burma. This is equivalent to its being' wjdespread over tropica1 India.

COLOBATHRISTIN~.

103. Artemidorus pressus, Dist. Pusa. 30-v-06-26-i-04. l\Iatheran. iv-oB. The Fauna gives. Calcutta, Ceylon, Burma.

HETEROGASTRINlE. I04. Epibomius pusa, Dist. Pusa.-Date removed in transit. A new species, apparently rare.

105. Dinomachus rhacinus, Dist. Pusa. 12-vii-06-26-iv-06-2i-ix-08. An abundant species on tree trunks, described since the Fauna.

PACHYGRONTmN~. None found. Igog.] H. MAXWELL-LEFROY: Insects of Tirhut.

OXYCARENINlS. 106. Oxycarenus lcetus, Kby. The sp_ecies abundant wherever cotton is, from Tinnevelly to the north-west. Its scanty record in the Fauna shows how little Lygreids have been collected.

107. Oxycarenus lugubr1:s, Motsch. Pusa. 13-vi-05. Recorded from Ceylon only.

APHANINlE. loB. Paromius seychellesus, Wlk. Pusa. 3-viii-05. Palamau. Manickganj. 24-x-06. Barisal. B-vi-06. Recorded from Ceylon, Burma, etc.

log. Paromi'Z/'s exiguus, Dist. Pusa. 22-iii-06. Recorded from Ceylon and Japan. Mr. Distant identified our specimens. ' 110. Pamera pallicornis, Dall. Pusa. 3I-viii-04-25-vi-06-6~x-o6-5-vii-07-4-ix-o7. Chapra. Lebong. ix-oB. The Fauna gives Shillong, Kurseong, Ceylon, Burma, etc.

III. Pamera vincta, Say. Pusa. 27-vl-06-30-x-06-26-vi-07. Manickganj. 26-x-06. The Fauna gives Ranchi, Calcutta, Ceylon, Burma. It is a grass and soil species, probably widely spread in India, but not noticed. 112. Appolonius cincticornis, Wlk. Pusa. . 3-v-06. Recorned from Ceylon.

I I3. Lachnophorus cingalensis, Dohrn. Chapra (Mackenzie). N agpur. 2I-i-06. Recorded from Bor Ghat, Bombay and Ceylon. Records 01 the Indian Museum. [VOL .. III,

114. A dauctus ,cupreus, Dist.

Pusa.-Date lost in tr~n~it. A new species .

.115. Aphanus sordidus,. Fab. Pusa. I4-xi-04-4-iii-05-I7-vii-07. Belgaum. iv-oB. Ranchi. xi-06. The Fauna records Assam, Bengal, Bombay, Ceylon, Burma, etc. 116. Aphanus bengalensis, Dist. Pusa.. I-vii-97. Chapra. A new species. I I7. Dieuches uttiguttatus, Thunb. Pusa.-All months. Dacca. 1o-i-oB. Belgaum. iv-oB. Recorded by the Fauna from Assam, Bangalore, Ceylon, Andamans, Bur~a~ 'etc. A very common species here.

lIB. Dieuches ieucoceras, Wlk. Chapra (Macke,~zi.e). Mussoorie. viii-07; Buxar Duars. iv-oB. Kangra (Dudgeon). Lebong .. ix-oB. Recorded from Kashmir, Bor Ghat, Bombay, Ceylon and Bushire (Persia). IIg. Paantius lestivus, Dist. Pusa. 2-iii-05-29~xii-07-26-vi-o7. , Recorded in the Fauna from Ceylon and Calcutta.

120. Abanus coloratus J Dist. Chapra (Mackenzie). A new species.

121. Lethceus indicus, Dall. Pusa. vi-07-9-xii-05. The Fauna gives North Bengal and Burma.

122. Gonsalvus typus, Dist. Pusa. 8-iv-07. Recorded by the Fauna from Mandalay. 190 9.] H. MAXWELL-LEFROY: Insects of Tirhut.

With regard to the Lyg~id~ as a whole not much can be said. There is a predominance of forms found also in Assam, Bur~a. ~nd M~laya, few of which extend either to the nearest sub-tropical area or to the tropical regions in the north-west. The paHearctic forms which have migrated from Shid into North India have not reached the Western Gangetic Plain. Unfortunately the Lyg~id~ are little collected; they. are small, not easy' to identify, uninteresting as " specimens ," and very little known. Many more of the obscurer forms of Pusa remain to be found and described probably, and a number _are with Mr. Distant or are awaiting description. Such forms, however, being new, offer no data with regard to faunal zones. PYRRHOCORIDlE. LARGINlE. 123. Iphita limbata, St&1. Pusa. 28-iii-oS-23-iv-07-25-vii-oS-6-ix-07-1&'xi-04-25- xii-oS· Dacca. IS-i-06. Th~ Fauna records Assam, Hardwar, Calcutta, Tenasserim.

124. Physopelta gutta, Burm. Pusa. 9-xii-05. Lebong. ix-08. Helem. The Fauna records Assam, Ceylon, Burma, etc.

12S. Physopelta schlanbuschi, Fabr. Pusa. 23-xii-05-29-viii-07-3-ii-06. The Fauna records Assam, Burma, etc.

In this sub-family, the only notable thing is the complete absence in Tirhut of Lohita grandis which has, apparently, not got beyond the limits of the Gangetic Plain, East. Our three Larginre are all common to Assam and Burma.

PYRRHOCORINlE. 126. A ntilochus coqueberti, Fabr. Pusa.-All months.. Helem. Bor Ghat. 13-111-03. Baroma. 2-iii-07. Jammoo. II-iv-08. Buxar Duars'. Cuttack. xi-oS. Records 01 the Indian Museum. [VOL. III,

The Fauna records Kashmir, Assam, Calcutta, Secunderabad, Ceylon, Burma, etc.

127. Euscopus indecorus, Wlk. Pusa. 6-xii-05. Recorded from Assam, Ceylon, Burma, Siam.

128. Dermatinus luguhris, Dist. Pusa. 17-vii-05. Nilgiris. lo-iv-06. Igatpuri. 20-vi-04. Bilaspur. ii-07. Recorded only from Pondicherry.

12g. Scantius pallens, Dist. Pusa. 6-vii-07-2-vi-08. Katni. ii-07. Nagpur. 5-iii-oS. Hafizabad. 21-vii-06. Recorded from Sind.

130. Scantius volucrt"s, Gerst. Pusa. I I -vii-oS. Bulsar. 2I-V-04. Bilaspur. ii-07. Lahore. Ig-iv-08-7-ix-04. Recorded from Madras, Coonoor, British East Africa.

131. Dysdercus cingulatus, Fabr. Throughout the cotton-growing areas of India, and practically throughout the tropical area. In sub-tropical localities such as Sikhim up to 5,000 feet. Recorded from Burma, Ceylon, Malaya, etc.

132. Dysdercus evanescens, Dist. Pusa. 4-iv-07-IO-viii-08. Chapra. Bor Ghat. 14-111-01. Buxar Duars. v-07. Recorded from Sikhim, Assam, Bor Ghat and Burma.

Our fauna is a small one, not containing many species, e.g., Dindymus, Odontopus, etc., of Assam, and without immigrants from the North-west such as Pyrrhocoris that one might expect. 190 9.] H. MAXWELL-LEFROY; Itlsects 01 Tirhut. 327 TINGIDIPiE. 133. Cantacader uniformis, Dist. Pusa. 6-iii-05. Recorded froin North Bengal and Burma.

134. Serenthia gibba, Fieb. Pusa. 25-ix-06. Recorded from C C East India."

135. Paracopium cingalense, Wlk. Bhagalpur. iii-og. (E. J Woodhouse.) The Fauna records Ceylon. Bhagalprir is in our area, doubtfully. I36. Galeatus darthula, Kirk. Pusa. x~08. Recorded from Ceylon.

I37. Celantia vagans, Dist. Pusa. 15-iv-08. Recorded from Ceylon.

I38. Compseuta lelroyi, Dist. Pusa.-Date lost in transit. A ne~ species.

139. Monanthia globulilera, Walk. Pusa.-All months. Recorded from Ceylon and Madras.

140. Belenus bengalensis, Dist. Pusa. 1o-viii-08-2o-xi-08. Muzaffarpur. Io-x-04· Records of Tingididre are so scanty, there is nothing to say of our species. Many remain to be found here, and collecting is badly needed everywhere in the plains. The family is quite as much tropical as sub-tropical. PHYMATIDiE. Of the nine Indian species, we have none from the plains at all. The family appears to be essentially sub-tropical, though no­ where abundant. ARADIDiE. No species known from our Fauna. They are not uncommon in sub-tropical India. Records 01 the Indian Museum. [VOL. III,

HEBRID~. None known. HYDROMETRIDlE. MESOVELIINlE. 141. M esovelia mulsanti, Buch. Who Pusa. 2-i-07. Recorded from Ceylon, Sumatra, etc.

H YDROMETRIN JE. 142. Hydrometra vittata, Stat Pusa.-All months. Muzaffarpur. 13-i-oS. J alalpur. 24-v-04. Recorded in the Fauna from Bombay, Bor Ghat, Ceylon, Burma, Malaya, etc. VELIIN.1It. 143. M icrovelia repentina, Dist. Pusa. r6-i-07. Recorded from Calcutta.

144. M icrovelia singalensis, Kirk. Pusa. 16-i-07, etc. Recorded from Ceylon. It is common on stagna'nt water with the last species. . GERRINlE. 14S. Gerris nitida, Mayr. Pusa. 21-xii-04-9-i-oS. Recorded from Trh:andrum, Ceylon and Burma. 146. Gerris tristan" Kirk. Pusa. 24-xii-04. Recorded ftom Ceylon.

147. Ge,ris spinolce, 'Leth. et Sev. Pusa. 24-xii-04. The Fauna records North India, Calcutta, Ceylon, Burma, China. HENICOCEPHALIDJE. 148. H enicocephalus basalis, W estw . Pusa. Chapra. Cuttack. IgOg.] H. MAXWELt-LEIfROY: Insects 'of" Tirhut.

The Fauna gives 13 engal , Bombay, Bor Ghat, Coromandel, Burma. A widespread, retiring, tropical insect.

REDUVIID}E.

HOLOPTILIN~. We have none of the four likely species.

EMESINJE. We have three species, apparently new to the Fauna.

SAICINlS. Polytoxus occurs, apparently new species.

TRmELOCEPHALIN tEo None known. STENOPODINlE. I49. Pygolampis tada, Stat. Pusa. vii-07. The Fauna records Ceylon, Burma.

ISO. Staccia diluta, St£1. P1:1sa. I3-vi-06 .. Recorded from Ceylon and Burma.

IS I. Oncocephalus annulipes, Stat Pusa. 4-vi-04-24-ix-oS-2B-vi-oS. Surat. 12-vi-04-7-vii-04. The Fauna gives Kashmir, Bombay, Bor Ghat, Cey1on, Burma, etc. I52. Caunus farinator, Reut. Pusa. 2S-vii-oB. Recorded from Tranquebar.

In this sub-family, our fauna is small, with its origin to 'the South-east ·rather than the North-west. It is not complete enoJlgh to be satisfactory, and many species may remain to be found. SALYAVATINlS. None found. Only three are recorded in India, two in Sylhet, one in Pondicherry. 330 Records of the I ndian Museum. [VOL. III,

ACANTHASPIDINlE. 153. Reduvius cincticrus, Reut. Pusa. 22-ix-06-26-vi-09. Recorded from Sylhet.

154. A canthaspis coranodes, Stat. Pusa. 6-vii-06-I7-ii-05. Daltonganj. viii-05. Recorded from Sylhet.

155. Acanthaspis ram,a, Di~t. Pusa. 5-iv-05-I2-V-06-8-v-07-14-iii-09-viii-08. Chapra. Lebong. ix-08. Recorded in the Fauna from Sikhim and Berhampur.

156. A canthaspis rugulosa, Stat. Pusa. 17-vii-05. Chitrakot. iii-oB. Chapra. In this sub-family, there are many species found in Burma that do not occur in our area. What we have is common to the Gangetic Plain, East, and Burma usually, while we have little in common with the Himalayas. 'Ve have few AcanthC{spis but the abundant species. Conorhinus would probably be found, had not Pusa been uninhabited for many years prior to 1904, as it is essentially a household species.

PIRATINlE. 157. Phalan(us geniculatus, S tal. Pusa. I -vii-06. Recorded from Burma and China.

I5B. Ectomocoris cordiger, St~1. Pusa. iii-og-iii-06-I6-v-06-Io-vii-06. Bankipur. vii-oB. Burdwan. iii-06. Chapra. Recorded from N. Bengal, Bor Ghat, Sylhet, Ceylon, Persian Gulf. 159. Pirates sanctus, Fab!. Chapra (Mackenzie). Baroma. 6-iii-07. Recorded from Sind, N. Bengal, Burma, Ceylon. 190 9.] H. MAXWELL-LEFROY: Insects of Tirlt'Ut. 33I 160. Pirates quadrinotatus, Fabr. ·Pusa. 27-i-oS-7-; Vii-OS-26-vi-o7. Chapra. Recorded from Sylhet ap.d Ceylon.

161. Pirates lepturoides, Wolff.

Pusa. I o-ii-og-ro-x-08. Chapra. The Fauna records Khandala, Ceylon, Burma, Java, Barnes.

r62. Pirates 11u-tndulus, Stal. Pusa. 4-vi-07. Surat. 21 -ii-04. Cuttack. 23-xi-oS. Dacca. r6-i-.o6. Chapra (Mackenzie). The Fauna records Tranquebar, Bor Ghat, Ceylon.

163. Pirates atromaculatus, Stat Pusa. iii-og-.8-ix-08-r8-vii-o8-x-o.B-, 7-iv-07. Chapra (Mackenzie). The Fauna gives Assam, Burma, Ceylon, etc.

164. Sirthenea fiavipes, StM. Chapra (Mackenzie). Khasi Hills. v-o.,. The,Fauna records Naga Hills, Ceylon, etc.

In this sub-family our fauna is essentially Burmese I and not usually recorded from further North-west.

ECTRICHODIINlE. r65. Ectrychotes abbreviatus, Reut. Pusa. 6-ix-07-26-iii-o5-27-i-o5. The Fauna records Calcutta only.

166. Ectrychotes dispar, Reut. Pusa. 21-ii-05--17-xii-o4-27-1V-o6-14-iv-08. The Fauna records Calcutta, Bombay, Bangalore.

167. Physorhynchus tuberculatus, Stnl. Pusa. r-iii-07-3-iv-o8. The Fauna records Assam, Burma, Ceylon. It is with us a rare . species, the largest of the Pusa fauna. 332 Records 0/ the Indian Aluseum. [VOL .. III,

APIOMERINlE. None recorded.

HARPACTORINlE. 16B. H arpactor marginatus, Fabr. Chapra (Mackenzie). Katni. ii-07. The Fauna records North India, Vizagapatam, Ceylon.

16g. H arpactor costalis, Stat Pusa. 7-i-og-iii-og-2S-vi-oB-B-vii-07. Lebong. ix-oB. The Fauna records Bengal, Assam, Burma, Malay Peninsula.

170. Sphedanolestes mendicus, St£1. Pusa. z-viii-07-1-vi-07. Chapra (Mackenzie). Mussoorie. viii-07. The Fauna records Assam, Burma, Malay Peninsula.

171. Sycanus versicolor, Dohrn. Pusa. Iz-xi-06. Recorded from Bengal, Burma, Penang.

172. Cydnocoris crocatus, St~1. Chapra (Mackenzie). Recorded from Burma.

173. Cora nus spinisc-utis, Reut. Pusa.--All months. Purulia. xi-06. Cawnpur. IS-x-05. The Fauna records Assam, Ranchi, Bor Ghat and Burma. This is, in Pusa, very common all the year, predaceous on caterpillars and small insects.

174. Coranus obscurus, Kby. Pusa. iii-og-1S-i-oS-z8-viii-oB. Rasul pur, Bengal. i v-06. Recorded from Sikhim, Assam, Calcutta, Ceylon and Burma. I am not certain that C. fuscipennis, Reut., is not in our series as I do not regard the descriptions as very distinctive. H. MAXWELL-LEFROY: Insects 0/ Tirhut. 333

175. Scipinia horrida, St~1. Pusa. II-X-06. Chapra'. 22-X-04. Recorded from Sikhim, Ceylon, Burma, Philippines.

176. lrantha consobrina, Dist. Pusa. 12-iii-07 . .Recorded from the Nilgiris only.

In the Harpactorinre, our fauna has distinct affinities to that of Assam and Burma, but is very limited; it suggests that only a small number of forms really have passed on from Assam and Eastern Bengal (Gangetic Plain, East) to our area, that we are the extreme north-west limit of some forms and too far out of the moist warm areas for many more.

NABIDINAt. 177. Prost emma carduelis, Dohrn. Pusa. 17-xii-04. Recorded from Ceylon and Burma.

178. Prostemma flavomaculatum, Leth. Pusa. 2I-xii-04. Recorded from Burma.

179. N abis capsiformis, Germ. Pusa. 2I-i-og-iii-o7-15-vii-o6-6-iv-o7. Surat. I5-viii-04. Simla. x-07. Recorded from Bombay and Bar Ghat, and Burma. Also the Palrearctic, Nearctic and Ethiopian regions. A very abundant species, which feeds on caterpillars.

The Reduviid Fauna of Pus a and Chapra is small, with ll1allY species not recorded which do occur in Eastern Bengal and Assatn, and with very few species known also from the Himalayan sub­ tropical areas to the north. Until the Reduviid Fauna of the Punjab is known, it is not possible to contrast our fauna, but its affinities, so far as can be seen are with Eastern Bengal, Assam, Burma and Malaya, far more th~n with that of Sub-Himalaya or the North- west. Records 0/ the. I ndian Museum. [VOL. III.,

SALDID~. 180. Valleriola cicindeloides, Dist. Pusa. "iv-08. N agptir. ii-og. A new species, rare.

CIMICID~.

r8r. Cimex rotundatus, Sig~. This is stated to be the Indian species, found at Pusa as generally in India.

CAPSID~.

MIRINJE. 182. Callicratides rama, Kby. Chapra (Mackenzie). Recorded only from Ceylon.

183. Megalocercea. dohertyi, Dist. Pusa.-All months. Recorded from Tenasserim. I am not quite certain of this species.; it 1S nearest to M. dohertyi of those in the Fauna.

184. Megacrelum stramineum, Walk. Pusa.-All months. Surat.-A11 months. Recorded from North Bengal,. Kangra Valley, Ceylon. A very abundant insect.

18S. Paciloscytus longicornis, Reut. Pusa. 20-iv-07. The Fauna records Calcutta, Ceylon, Nicobar Islands, etc.

I86. Gallobelicus crassicornis, Dist. Pusa.-All months. The Fauna records Bor Ghat and Tenasserim.

187. H alticus minutus, Reut. Pusa. 7-vii-oS. Recorded from Ceylon, Singapur, etc. I90 9·1 H. MAXWELL-LEFROY: 'Insects 01 Tirhut. 335

T~e Capsid fauna is very inadequately known, compared with other families, but is a distinct one from that of sub-tropical 10 c ali· ties; for instance the very abundant D.erceocoris of the Himalayas, which are there quite common, are in Pusa wholly absent. Our Capsid fauna is probably distinct, being found on grass and on plants to which each species is more or less definitely confined. The Capsidre, more than all other Heteroptera, are very insuffi­ ciently known all over India.

ANTHOCORID£. r88. Triphleps tantilus, .Motsch. Pusa. viii-07. We have also a not uncommon undescribed species.

PELOGONIDiE. r8g. Pelogonus marginatus, Latr. Pusa.-All months. The Fauna records India, Burma, S. Africa, etc.

NEPID,a~:.

190. Laccotrephes ruber, Linn. Pusa. 1g-viii-05-15-vi-06-24-iv-o7· Chapra. Igatpuri. 20-vi-04. Nilgiris. 7,000 feet. v-04. Akalgarh, Punjab. 30-iii-08. Recorded from Sind, Kashmir, Assam, Ka~gra, BOlnbay, Calcutta, Ceylon, Burma, China, etc.

19r. Laccotrephes maculatus, Fabr. •Pusa.-All months. Recorded in the Fauna from Bengal, Assaln, Calcutta, Bombay, Ceylon, Burma.

Ig2. Ranatra elongata, Fabr. Pusa. 26-iii-04-viii-o8. . .. The Fauna records Kashmir, Calcutta, Bombay, Ntlglrls.

Ig3. Ranatra {iti/orntis, Fabr. Pusa,-All months. The Fauna records Quetta, Karachi, Behat, Assam, Tranque- bar, Bombay. Philippines, etc. Records 01 the I ndian Museum. [VOL. In,

NAUCORIDiE. None. BELOSTOMIDiE. 194. N ectocor-is stali, Mayr. I cannot find we have this, but am not certain.

I95. Spharodema annulatum, Fabr. Pusa. 19-xii-04-19-viii-oS-14-v-o7. Burdwan. ii-06. The Fauna gives only Sind, Sylhet, Calcutta.

196. Spharodema rusUcum, Fabr. Pusa. 2S-ix-oS-iv-oS. Dacca. xii-oB. Yercaud. Gauhati. v-07. The Fauna gives Bombay, Ceylon, Burma, Siam, etc .

.I97. Spharodema molestum, Duf. Pusa. I-vii-07-v-o7, etc. Bangalore. The Fauna records Kashmir, Calcutta, Malacca.

I9B. Belostoma indicum, Lep. et Serv. Pusa.-May to September. Asansol. Mokameh." Recorded from Sind, Malabar, Bombay, Trivandrum, Ceylon r-. --- , Burma, etc. ~i.~_l"·" ;:t~. The Corean B. deyrollei, Yuill, of the Brahmaputra, the only other Indian species, does not appear to extend to our area.

NOTONECTID£. I99. Enithares indica, Fabr. Pusa. 17-xii-06. Surat. 16-vi-04. Recorded" from Tranquebar, Bombay, Trivandrum, Ceylon, Burma, etc. 200. Anisops sardea, Herr.-Schaf. Pusa.-...t\U months. The Fauna gives Bombay, Burma, etc. 190 9.] H. MAXWELL-LEFROY: Insects 01 Tirhut. 337

201. A nisops fieberi, Kirk. Pusa.-All months. K~rka~dy says "Distributed over British India," on whose author1ty 1S not stated. Distant records Ceylon and Celebes.

202. A nisops niveus, Fabr. Pusa.-All months. The Fauna records Bombay, Burma, and" suggests" all India.

203. Plea pallescens, Dist. Pusa. x-08-ix-08-vii-og. Recorded from Calcutta.

CORIXID]£.

204. Corixa h~eroglyphica, Duf. Pusa.-All months. Recorded from Assam, N. Bengal, Bombay.

205. Micronecta striata, Fabr. Pusa.-All months. The Fauna records Calcutta, Kanara, Ceylon.

The aquatic Rhynchota have probably been little collected in India, and one would- expect them to be widely spread, since neither heat nor drought would affect them in big rivers such as come down from sub-tropical areas. Still there are puzzles, not­ ably Belostoma deyrollei from the Brahmaputra not being found in the Ganges. A feature, too, is the complete absence of M ononyx, so common in the hills, and of N aucoridre. The former is a land insect typical of sub-tropical areas and the Naucoridre apparently also are not plains' insects at all.

We have now enumerated 205 species of Rhynchota Heterop­ tera from Tirhut} mainly from one locality,. Pusa, in which collect­ ing has been done continuously by many students and others, as lVell as myself, for five years. We have probably found at least every common species; there may be another roo rare species not listed, which are not identified or are new. The fauna as a whole is markedly Malayan and Burmese, very markedly distinct from that of the nearest sub-tropical zone, Sub-Himalaya, West. It con­ tains also very few species stretching across the drier north-west, but probably many species common also to the hills of Chota Nagpur and other places to the south-west. How it will conlpare with the fauna of Central India, East, is uncertain, but we believe Records ot the I ndian Museum. [VOL. III, 1909.]- that it shows a greater affinity with the Fauna of the Gangetic Plain, East, though distinct from it. The fauna is not a di~tinct one, in the sense that it is derived, not originating on the spot; it is derived pr~bably by immigration through Lower Bengal and Eastern 'Bengal from Burma, and possibly Malaya. Many species which have penetrated into Lower Bengal have not penetrated to this area, possibly on account of the period of intense dry heat which prevails from March 15th to May 15th as a rule. It contains probably a number of species which are now established all over the plains of India, successful species whom heat does not affect or who find in the undiversified vegetation an abundance of the food-plant they require. If our conel USiOllS are correct, there is justification for considering what are the faunal zones of this continent. \Ve cannot here repeat \vhat is said in Indian Insect Lite, but we would urge the collection of data upon this point; collectors situated in India can alone provide the dat~; we want collections made at widespread points by resident collectors; a collection is not a mere agglomeration of specimens, like postage-statnps, but a valuable mass of data ftom which can be drawn deductions regarding wide subjects such as this; there is scope for many collectors, and until such work is started, this cannot make the progress it should do. It is perhaps untiecessary to say that we will give any assist­ ance that can be given, and that this subject is being worked at both in the Indian Museum and ·Pusa. An impetus might possibly be given to collecting, were it realis~d how valuable are accurately localised col1ection~. We would also point out to systematists and others in Europe that India is not just one level uniform plain and that the accurate record of localities and elevations in the specimens they describe increases the value of their work. Such a locality as " Indes Orientales" is meaningless ; North Bengal may be Pusa at' ISO feet elevation, Kurseong at 4,700 feet, or Darjiling at 7,000 feet, the three places being tropical, sub-tropical and palrearctic, respectively. If anyone is in doubt as to the elevation, latitude, or longitude, or the faunal area of any ,Indian locality, we will do our best to enlighten him. The accurate record of localities is an extremely important matter, and we hope that such vague terms as "lndes Orientales," "India Orientalis," "Deccan," "Bengal," "South India," will pass completely out of use and give place to greater accuracy. X-XVI. DESCRIPTIONS OF NE\V SPECIES OF BOTIA AND NEMACHILUS

By 'B. L. CHAl!DHU~I, "B.A., B.-Se. (Edin.), Assistant Super'tntendent, Indian Mu,seuJn.

Botia bird~, sp. nov. Br. iii, D 1.10, P 14, V 8, A 1.6, C 19. Height of body 4, length of head 4 and length of caudal 9 in the total length. The- dista,nce of clo~cal opening from root of caudal, is contained three times in the total length. Head rather compressed and deep, height of head being It and its breadth 2% in the length of head. The suborbital groove is shape~ lik~ a relaxed bow and is deep and wide for the lodgment of t~e erectile bifid spine when not in use. The length of the groove is cont~ined three times in the length of head. The erectile spine reaches the anterior third ,below the orbit. , Eyes lateral, with a rounded ridge' betw~en and situated abou~ the middle of the leu.gth 9f the head: rather small and contain ed 8 diameters in the length of head, 4 to 4! diameters from the end of snout 'and 2t diameters apart. Barbels.-8 in all, 4 rostral in a bunch at the end of a fleshy prolongation of the pointed snout, the inner pair being super­ hnposed by the 'outer pair The mandibular pair, \vhich are short and thick and only half as long as the ma~illary (which are the longest with slender tapering ends) grow .from a fleshy outgrowth of the lower lip. The maxillary pair reach the middl~ of the eye below, the length of the rostral barbels is intermediate between that of the maxillary and that of the mandibular; the outer and upper rostral pair being longer than the inner and inferior rostral pair. Anterior nares are about the middle of the snout, have double funnel-shaped tufts and two deep pits, and do not open into the mouth, but the double series of muciferous glands in the head appear to terminate in, front of them. Lips.-Suctorial, .thick, rounded and doupled up at the cor­ ners \vhen the mouth remains closed, thus giving. a crescentic appearance to the lumen. The upper lip is extended into an over­ hanging fleshy flap and the lower lip is corrugated or ~ivided into four rounded fleshy protuberances, giving a characteristic appear­ ance to the mouth. Fins.-There are appendants on the outer ~ide of pectoral and ventral :fins. These appendants are small, thin, cuticular flat Records 0/ the I ndian Museum. [VOL. III, outgrowths in the angles of the fins. The anterior root of the dorsal fin is slightly nearer to the snout than the middle point in the total length and is in advance of the anterior root of the ventral fin which is ~lightly behind the middle point. The outer free m~rgin of the dorsal is concave outward; the pectoral fin in length is contained It times in the interval between the anterior roots of the pectoral and ventral fins; the ventral fin is contained Ii to Ii times in the interval· between the anterior roots of the ventral and anal fins, and the anal fin about It times in the interval between the anterior roots of the anal and caudal fins. (In each of these the length of the fin is meas~red as it lies contracted alongside the body length.) In the dorsal fin the spine is inti­ mately joined with the first ray, so much so that the total number appears to be 10. The first ray though articulated is not branched, while the rest of the rays are both articulated and branched. The spine of the anal fin is also intimately joined with the first ray; thus the total number in the fins appears to be 6 and not 7 till the spine is separated out. Like that of the dorsal the first anal ray is articulated but not branched, but the rest are both articu­ lated and branched. The caudal fin is deeply forked-more than i of its total length. Shape.-Body broader above than below. The dorsal profile is round and sloping in frout of the dorsal fin, the slope increasing gradually further forward; behind the dorsal fin it is only slightly sloping. The. ventral profile is almost a straight line and the abdomen is transversely rounded. Lateral line is complete. I t is .almost straight from. the root of the caudal fin to below the dorsaJ fin, from which point it slightly follows the· curvature of the upper profile; it appears to terminate in the upper corner of the gill-opening. From' this point again widely separated larger spots (openings of muciferous glands) are observed in two series, one curving up the eye and the other rounding below, meeting in front of the nasal openings Air-bladder is an' elongated narrow tube lying on the upper part of the gut, and in length is only! the length of the gut. Scales very small arid deciduous; all over the body except on the head. . Colour.-The snout was reddish at the time of capture but has lost its colour in spirit. The otl-ter rostral barbels are dark brown, the rest are white. Dorsal and caudal. fins are striped with broad black or dark brown bands on yellowis4 white ground; the dorsal with 2 to 3 cross-bands and the caudal with 3. to 4 wavy bands. The other fins, viz., pectoral ventral and anal, are not at all striped but are of one uniform colour which is paler yellowish' white; as is also the ventral (lower) surface of the body; the dorsal side is deeper and darker, and further variegated by irregular ellipticall60ps of brownish black; these loops send down broad brownish black bands on each side, but all these bands stop short of the ventral surface and sometimes interlace with each other. Just below the suborbital groove there is a half-moon-shaped area 190 9.] B. L. CHAUDHURI: New SPecies of Fish. 34I consp~cu5>usly silvery which probably functions as a warning organ. - Size.-Three young specimens from Ambala measure 12· 4 cm., 12·9 cm. and 13·3 cm. Full-sized ones weigh up to It lb. each. These fish were caught in the nlontli of May, 1908 , by W J A. Bird, Esq., Superintending Engineer, Sirhind Circle (Ambala), at Rupar, where the Sirhind Canal diverges from the Sutlej. The fish are said to be very gOQd eating, and, as an "indivi­ dual reaches It lb. in weight, are of considerable economic value. This fish has some superficial resemblance to a small fish, viz., Botia, gelo of Day (Cobit~s geto of Hamilton Buchanan, Schistura geta of McClelland and Geto rostrata of Gunther), which, besides being a smaller fish, differs in its most important proportions~ shape and formation of head (figured by Dr. Gunther in the British Museum Cat. of Fishes, vol. vii, p. 367). There is considerable difference in the coloration also; Botia rostrata. Gunther, has its pectoral, ventral and anal fins conspicuously striped with brownish cross-bands; in the new species none of these fins are at all banded or striped. Nemachilus macmahoni, sp. nov.

Br. iii, D 1.8, P 10, V 8, A 1.6, C 19.

Height of body 5~ J length of head 4t, length of caudal 8, the distance of cloacal opening from the root of caudal 34- in the total length. Head rather broad and tJIick, height of head being 2t and its. breadth Ii in the length of head and the height of head being It in the breadth of head. Eyes small, being 9t diameters in the length of head, 4 diame­ ters in the length of snout and about 3-A- diameters apart; intra­ orbital space very slightly convex. Barbels.-6 in all, with thick bases and slender tips; maxil­ lary pair reaching below hind edge of the orbit. The maxillary barbels appear to come out of the corners of a groove that sur­ rounds the mouth. Fins.-The single spine of the dorsal as well as of the anal is intimately joined with the first ray that follows, which, though articulated, is not branched. There is a peculiar thickening behind the dorsal fin which in appearance resembles the elongated adipose dorsal fin of some of the M acrones. This fin-like structure is' con­ tinuous behind with the skin fold of the cauda1; its length is 3t in the total length, and its height is contained 10 t.imes and its thick­ .ness 12 times in the length of the fin. The anterior root of the spino\1s dorsal fin is in front of the middle point of the total length and also of the anterior root of the ventral fin which is behind the middle point of the total length. The length of the pectoral is 2~ in the distance between the bases of the pectoral and ventral fins. The length of the ventral is exactly half the distance between the bases of the ventral and anal fins, and the length of .the anal fin is 342 Records ot the Indian Mu,seu'.m [VOL. 111,1909.] contained almost twice in the interval between the bases of the anal and caudal ·fins. Free end of dorsai fin is a straight line and the caudal is rounded. Shape elongated and round; thicker in front and tapering from behind the dorsal fin. Dorsal profile curves up from the posterior root of the dorsal fin, reachi11-g the highest ·point midway hetween the anterior root. of the dorsal and the nape of the rieck~ 'Head not sloping but ·rather flat. The ventral profile is slightly curved downwards, the lowest point being the anterior root of the ven­ tral fin· . . Lateral line complete and slightly curved frorrJ' below the anterior root of the adipose fin-like structure to the upper corner of the gill-cleft,. ·and follows the curvature of the dorsal profile closely. Scales very small and highly deciduous, found all over the body. Colour.-Brown' all over, head and dorsal part slightly darker than ventral surface. Barbels lighter hrown. Dorsal and caudal fins banded with darker bands, pectoral also slightly banded; but anal and caudal of a uniform light brown colour. The type, which is 28 cm. in length, is in the collection of the Indian Museum (No. F .L2l~) and was collected in t4e affluents of the He1mand by Colonel Sir A. H. McMahon, K.C.I.E., C.S.I., and the officers of tlie Seistan Arbitration Commission. The species differs in many important characters from Tate Regan's N. rhadi11te'U,S from the same locality. One of the types of the latter species is also in the collection. XXVII. N~W ORIENTAL SE.PSINiE.

By E. BRUNE'l'TI.

The Acalypterate sub-family Sepsinre recently 'receive-d a substantial a.ddition to the number of its Eastern species by Herr Meijer,e's pUblication of eight new ones, in addition to iavanica, a species he had established two years earlier. In the Indian Museum collection, this group 1S very liberally represented, and I now give descriptions of a number of new species therein contained, with notes on other known species and sue.h' new lQcalities as- the material presents. After careful exam- . ination of over 500 specimens, representing nearly thirty species, I fipd, a~ stated by Herr Meijere, that it is unsafe to rely too much on certain characters as bases of classification. The usual number of dorso-central bristles is four, but the front pair are frequently reduced in size, or are absent; in one specimen there was a distinct fifth bristle. The sp~ny bristles on the abdominal segments are also variable in size and, occasionally, in number. Moreover, all the bristles, also the spines on the fore femora, are very easily broken off, gene~ally leaving no trace of their presence. In addition to the two conspicuous bristles on the scutellum, there are often two other very small ones towards the sides of the anterior part, and the presence of small additional bristles is not at all rare. The two basal cells are in some species united by the absence of the' intermediate veinlet, but this character is not invariably consistent, and in one specimen I found a supplementary veinlet joining the third and fourth longitudinal veins, in a line with, and apparently an extension of, the outer cross-vein. The extent of the greyish white dust on the sternopleurcc is also more or less variable , and in some species, with an otherwise. wholly black thorax, there is a tendency to a dark brown tinge on the shoulders and along the sides. In studying the species herein recognised, I have con­ sidered all the above characters taken together, in preference to relying on any particular one. I do not feel able to present a satisfactory analytical table of species, but an approximate group­ ing for the present will, at least, give the affinities of ruy new species. A. W ittg with a distinct blacll spot near tip. B. Wing spot rather clearly cut, generally round or squarish. Two allied species form a first or cynipsea group; these are cynipsea, L., and modesta, Meij. 344 Records 0/ the Indian Museum. [VOL. III, Four species allied to the punctum, F., of Europe; these are himalayensis, rufibasis (with two varieties), similis and lulvolateralis, all new. BB. Wing spot indistinct; sometimes opened out hindwards, and fading away-never very pronounced. In this group are basifera, Wlk., Meijere's apicalis and limbata, with my new ones, {lava, rufipectus, lineatipes, tincta, dilala and dissimilis. N.B.--Belonging to Group A are faseipes, Wlk., linearis, Wlk., and monostigma, Thoms., but from the descriptions it is impos­ sible to tell whether they fall in my Group B or in BB. AA. Wing entirely clear. The species falling in this division appear divisible into two main groups, which I will designate the indica and bicolor groups respectively. I. indica, \Vied., group.-Mainly reddish yellow species of comparatively larger size. These are indica, W., ru/a, Mcq., trivittata, Big., speetabilis, Meij., ten ella , Meij., and my new species brevicosta, adiuncta and brevis. Lateralis, Wied., belongs here, but neither Meijere nor myself have ~)een able to recognise it. 2. bieolor, Wied., group.-Mainly black species of com­ paratively smaller size. These are bicolor, W. (iavanica, Meij J, coprophila, decipiens and beckeri of Meijere, and my new species humeralis, nepalensis, pubipes and fasciculata. A last species, viduata, Thoms.,·is a somewhat isolated one, large, black, and with a~ ant-like appearance. N.B.--Belonging to Group AA but not to be determined more closely owing to the brevity of the descriptions are nitens, C01n­ plicata and lateralis of Wiedemann; revocans, frontalis and testaeea of Walker. The genus Nem.opoda is, so far as my experience goes, not Oriental (vide postea). Walker's two species of Piophila (the second one with a­ doubt)-. contecta and disfuncta-I know nothing of; van der Wulp's 1uficornis I have identified from Meijere's description. ad­ ding, moreover, a variety from Calcutta (flavifacies). The genus SalteUa now becomes Oriental as well as Palrearc­ tic, as a species occurs in Bengal, and a second in South India, both herein described. Two other species of this sub-family appear in van der Wulp's Catalogue, Cephalia bicolo1, Big., and M egamerina annulifera, Big. Of these I also know nothing, and would prefer to regard them specifically and generically as uncertain. Of the localities mentioned in this paper, Theog (8,000 ft.), Phagu (8,700 ft.), l\iatiana (B,ooo ft.) and Dharampur (5,000 ft.) are all in the Simla (7,000 ft.) District in the W. Himalayas. The following localities are all in South India (in Travancore St8:t e) and were visited recently (I908) by Dr. Annandale, all being 190 9.] E. BRUNETTI: New Oriental Sepsinte. 345 in the plains at low altitude, except Tenmalai which is among the hills:- Trivandrum Travancore State, near coast. Nedumangad 10 miles N.E. of Trivandrum. Pallode 20 miles N.E. of Trivandrum. Shasthancottah . 12 miles N.N.E. of Quilon (Travancore). Tenmalai West side of Western Ghats {Travancore}. Maddathorai West base of Western Ghats (Travancore). Shencottah Madras Frontier, east side of Western G hats (Travancore).

Sepsis cynipsea, L. This common species, which .extends over the whole of Europe, North Africa and North America, probably extends also over the whole of the Palrearctic region. The Indian Museum possesses it from the following places: Simla (7,000 ft.), II-V-08 and 16-v-og (on the latter date common on fiowers of white stonecrop) ; Theog (8,000 ft.), Phagu (8,700 ft.) and Matiana (8,000 ft.), Kufri (8,000 ft.), I1-V-09; Dharampur (5,000 ft.), 28-iv-3-v-08, and also again at Theog and Phagu, 1I-I3-v-09 (all Annandale, and all these places in the Simla Di~trict). N aini Tal (6- 7,000 ft.) [Lloyd]; also taken by the Indian Museum collector at Unchagaon, 7-iv-og, Bindukhera, 13-v-09; Kichha, 4-iv-og, these all in the N aini Tal District but in the plains; Kumaon (Na'ini Tal District, 6,000 ft.), 5-vi-og; Darjiling (6,000 ft.), 28-ix-I-X-08 [Brunetti]; Noalpur, Nepal, 23-ii-08; Bhachkati, Bahraich District (United Provinces, India). This latter place is near the base of the Western Himalayas. I have also examined a cI' and 2 taken in April on Paresnath Hill, Western Bengal, by Dr. Annandale, at a height of 4,350 feet. Paresnath Hill is separated by about 200 miles from the hills of Nepal, the nearest point in the Himalayas. It will be seen that the specimens examined by me are nearly all from localities of some altitude, except the few from the plains in the N aini Tal District. I think it probable that in the East it is practically a hill species, but occurs sparingly at the base of the hills J or on isolated elevated localities in their vicinity.

Sepsis himalayensist mihi, sp. nov. (Plate xiii, figs. r, 2.)

d' Q Darjiling. Long. Zi-4 mm. Head -Frons shining blue-black, bare; ocelli red, equidis­ tant rather widely separated, with two strong, diverging hristles situ~ted between them. A row of four eqtlidistant bristles along the vertex. reaching from eye to eye, and some bristles of different lengths on the back of the head, which is black. Face, cheeks and mouth border red, varying to reddish brown and to reddish yellow, with a longitudinal row of strong bristles on each side of the Records 01 the Indian Museu'm. [VOL. m'~ mouth. Probos'cis'light brown, with short pale hairs. 1\"n~e~nre black, third joint more or less reddish, especially at base'and :on under side, t~e:whole. joint sometimes with a greyish'reflection., Thorax ~athet,dull black,'srll'Ootn., som'etimes with a slight '4,ark green or aenOl1S ,tirrge, especiallt 'on the sides. The d6'rsum bears five ·longitudinal:··rows ~of vet)"-minute spines; the middle row is central, and. the out'er rowS' n-early on the edges of the dor~um. Placed on the posteriQr half of the dorsunl. and forming part of the two intermediate rQw~,! oi-~ minute' spines, are two pa.irs of strong, black" spipy bristles, sfightly curving back~ards,.. The front pair are s01netimes s1natl~r 'and often absent. The lengt~s of the two spines forming the 'front pair often are unequal in the saine specimen. A strong 'spiny 'bristle in front of the ihsertion of each wing, and a lateral row of three'on each side of the' thorax, j~st below the dorcsum. S'cutellum concofor()us, with two'long spines; metano­ tum shining black. Sternopleura itself \vholly grey dusted, t~e. grey not carried forward over ,the 'mesopleura 'o'r any other portio~' of the side 'of the thorax. 1 Mesopleura shining, often with an aenous or dark green tint, but never grey dusted. Abdomen shining violet-black, with scattered, soft sho~t hairs. Sides of second segment often more or less reddish, Second seg­ ment with one or two comparatively sm~l1 but distinct bristles to­ war ds the sides, almost' on the posterior border. 'Th ird, fourth, fifth' and sixth segments each with a strong bristle towards' each side', placed near the posterior border, those on the fourth segment being just behind the middle line, although towards the sides of the seg­ merit like the others: Occasionally an additional bristle 9ccurs on the fourth segment, and eve~ on the fifth also J -placed between the two normal ones. Legs.-Coxre reddish yellow, fore pair narrowly at base, and posterior pairs' up the middle, .black. Femora' mainly shining black, but sometimes with a slight dark green tinge, with bases and tips narrowly reddish yellow. The yellow colour is variable in extent, sometimes occupying the greater part of the fore pair, especially on the unde'! side ; also in some specimens reducing ~he black part on the posterior femora almost to a wide, ill-defined band, or confining it (the black) chiefly to the upper side. The fore femora in the d" much enlarged below, the enlarge­ ment terminating just before the end in a pair of small bumps (inner and' outer) almost contiguous, which bear a few very short black spines. Three strong spines occur near together in the centre of the femora on the under side, followed by four or five shorter strong ones placed on a small bump just before the end of the incrassated part; and these stronger spines form, \vith some

1 In this paper, by "sternopleura" I refer only to that subtriangular piece itself whkh in most Oriental species is more or less grey dusted. but in all su~h ~ases wholly so. In the few instances where the gt ey is carried forward in a thIn hne as mentioned by Herr l\Ieijere in the European N emopoda cylindyica. etc., I expressly take note of this fact. 190 9·j E. BRUNETTI: New Oriental Sepsince. 347 intermediate small ones, a more or less re~ular row along the whole of the under side. Fore. femora in 9 simple. All the femora in both sexes minutely pubescent, the middle ones cearing a small spine (sometimes two) on the under side near the middle. Tibire : . fore pair in d' generallv reddish yellow, narrowed at base (where there are two short black spines), al~o aboutthemiddle, in front of which are two stnall enlargements, of which the upper ~ne bears thre'e or four ",ery short bristles. Fore pair in 9 ~imple. Middle tibire w-ith three or four. bristles on the outer and hinder sides, placed ~n the apical half. Sind tibire vdth two br:stles in the middle) on outer and hinder sides, and one on the outside near the tip, but, 11either the number nor the exact position seem to be constant The' hind tibire bear at the tip several bristles of vary­ ing length. In both sexes the colour of the four posterior tibire is . bla~k, with rather clo')e, black pubescence, espe<;iaUy on the hind pair, but the base and tip are often pale. Tarsi :. yellowish brown, black towards the tips; with black bristly hairs below, which are strongest below the metatarsus in the cI' UTings nearly clear: small transverse vein placed at about three-fifths of the discal cell. The spot at the tip of the s~cond longitudinal vein is narro\v on the bent up portion of that vein, below which it is enlarged, with a tendency to turn outwards towards the tip of the wing. It is never squari~h in shape nor does it ever reach the third vein. This latter is very faintly suffused towar.ds, but not at, its tip. Halteres pale. Described from a considerable number of both sexes taken by me at Darjiling, r6-ix-08-2-x-o8, mostly in fields of grass. mixed plants' and weeds. Also in the Indian Museum from Da··jili 'g, Io-viii-og, and Pashoke, Sikhim (2,Rco ft). S-ix-09. It is a well­ marked species, but shows considerable variation, especially ill the colour of the l~gs and at the base of the abdomen. The minute rows of spines on the thoracic d Jrsum are often inconspicuous or absent, and there ~eems a tendency towards occasion~l extra spines on the legs and on the fourth segment of the abdomen. N.B.-..4". careful examination of a11 the specimens convinces me that they represent but a single species, and that the size, presence or absence, of the anterior pair of dorso-central thoracic bristles is a variable charact(~r, as about half the total number of specimens captured show four spines (the front pair generally slightly smaller, and not infrequently of different lengths in the same speclmen) and the remainder show little or no trace of them, a few specimens having them of quite small size.

Sepsis punctum, Fab. (Plate xiii, fig. 3.) A specimen taken by me at Shanghai, 16-iv-c6, agrees with the de5criptions of punctum, F., as given by Schiner, but froin comparison with four males of this species in the Indian lViuseUlll, Records of the I ndian Museum. [VOL. III, my specimen is much too. slender and too small to be this species. It however possesses the four bristles on the fourth abdominal seg­ ment, and has only two dors')-central bristles on the thorax, in these characters agreeing with punctum. For the present, it will be wisest to omit the name from my list. In my collection.

Sepsis similis, mi'hi ~ sp. nov.

c1' Darjiling. Long. 3 mm. Closely allied to S. PU1lctu';"', F., a European species which is known to extend to No":th Africa. My species differs from that of Fabricius by having four dorso-central thoracic bristles, and by the 'absence of the middle pair of bristles on the fourth abdom­ inal segment. Minor differences are the slightly darker hind legs, the whig SPQt reduced to a small dash, and the inl}er cross-vein being more nearly over the middle of the discal cell. In the formation of the fore femora it agrees with punctum, and if the number of bri~tles on the thorax and·fourth abdominal segment are inconstant, the two species may be identical. Descrihed from two males taken by me at Darjiling, 24-26-ix-oB, in grassy fields. In the Indian Museum collection.

Sepsis rufibasis, mihi, sp. nov.

~ Darjiling. J~ong. 3-41 m~. A handsome and conspicuous species, allied to punctu11t, similis and himalayensis. The second abdominal segment ig ahvays more or less reddish (ahove as well as at side~), the colour extending sometimes to the base of the third .segnlent, above also; the rest of the abdomen showing violet, bronze and green tints, the ftfth segment also, with the anal appendage, being principally reddish yellow. Four dorso­ central bristles are present. The shape of the wing spot is as in himalaye11,sis. The fourth abdominal s~gment carries four bristles ~ sometimes of uneq ual length- (one specimen possessing a fifth bristle). A principal specific ·character is the presence of bristles on the legs, distributed as follows: Several on the apical half of the under side of the middle femora, also along the whole length of the middle tibire on the hinder and outer sides. On the front of the hind femora towards the tips are a few, and two are in the middle. of the hind tibire, placed somewhat posteriorly. From himalayensis it may be distinguished at once by its wholly reddish yellow femora, all the legs being of that colour except the tarsi and the hind tibire, which are blackish. .Apart. from any differences contained in the above remarks this species resem hIes punctum, F. Described from four d' d' in the Indian Museum collection taken by me at Darjiling, 23-z6-ix-oB, in fields. E. BRUNETTI : New Oriental SepsintB. 349 Var. major, mihi. d' Darjiling. Long. 41 mm. Two males taken by me in company with the typical form ~pp~r ~t ~rst .sigh~ to be a distinct species, although on exam- - Inatlon It IS dtfficult to point out any character of sufficient strength on which to separate them specificaJly. They are nearly 4! millimetres. in length, the whole of the &econd segment (abdom­ inal) and the basal half' of the third, are shining reddish; the fifth se~ment bein{! wholly yellowi~h, with the' genitalia. There are four dorso-central bristles on the thorax" and four bristles on the fourth abdominal segment. . The bristles .on the legs in one of the specimens correspond with thos~ in the typical form, but in the other specimen they are placed more in a uniform row on the outside of the hind tib .re (except. one towards the tip _ in front, and one on the inside). . The wing spot is slightly larger and very deep black.

Var. obscuripes, mihi.

d' Darjiling. Long. 3 mm. What appears to be a second variety of my rufibasis is represented by two (jf d' taken by me in company with it at Darjiling, 24-26-ix-08, in fields. In one, the four dorso-central thoracic bristles are present, in the second specimen the front pair are very abortive. One example has the tip of the abdomen (fifth segment) yellow, but the other has no sign of this colour at the tip. The leg bristles are as in the typical form, the legs themselves being much more blackish, the fore femora being nearly wholly brown in one specimen, and with a bla('ki~h upper side in the other. The posterior femora are mainly black, with the bases broadly and their tips more or less narrowly pale, and the posterior tibire almost wholly black, but with a tendency to paleness at the tip of the middle pair. 'the tarsi are dirty yello",r, ,vith blackish tips.

Sepsis fulvolateralis, mihi, sp. nov.

d' Himalayas. 140ng. 3 Inm. H ead.-Frons, face and cheeks bright reddish orange, fron", 1;Quched here and there with black. Vertex blackish; back of head mainly reddish yellow, but black just behind vertex, Autennce reddish orange, upper side blackish, also the grooves in the face in which they lie; bristle on second joint very large. Mouth blackish, proboscis brownish yellovv. Thorax.-Dorsum blackish; four large dorso-central bristles, and five more or less uninterrupted rows of very distinct short stout bristles, the rows often double; in addition to scattered short hristly hairs 'over the whole dorsuln. The dorsum is sharply 350 Rec ords 01 the Indian M useU'fn. [VOL. III, divided from the sides of the thorax, which, at least on the humeral calli and for some little distance around, are distinctly redd,ish orange. Sternopleura prominently grey dusted, and traces' of ~rey. dust here and there above the sternopleura. 'Scutellum blackish. Metanotum shining black. A brio men shining black, with a slight v:olet tinge, with ~hort pubescence. . Sides at bas?, especially on second segment, c(ln~iderably orange-yellow. Second segment with a few sti ff bristles towards each side; third and fifth with two spiny hristles placed as usual; fourth with a row of four such bristles. Abdomen tip orange-yellow. Genitalia large and prominent, yellow, with t\VO small palpi shaped like the antenna of a Taban'J4ts. Legs orange-yellow, with short pubescence.. Posterior tibire brownish; tar:-i brown, middle tarsi (except metatarsus) black. Fore fenlora with the enlargement below bearing a strong spin~ before the middle, followed~ by two or three smalter ones on a small bump, and thence to the tip by se\"eral short ones. Hairs on upper side of fore femora rather stronger than in most species. Fore tibia widened behind up to the middle, whe!"e it is somewhat contracted, and again at three-fourths of' its length; the basal half of the tibire bearing three or four strong short spines. Middle femora with a bristle on the front side, in the middle; middle tibire with t,,·o bristles on outside, one qehind and several at the tip. Hind femora with two on the outside in the middle and some at the tip. All the tarsi pubesC'ent below, with rows of spines; fore metatarsus ·below \vith a. thick fringe of bristly hair; hind metatarsus below with two stronger spine" at it~ base. Wings clear, with a distinct, generally round (but sometimes irregular) brownish spot at tip of second vein; third and fourth veins converging just before the tip; inner. cross-vein at two­ fifths of the discal cell. Described. frotn several d' r:i' in the Indian Museum collection with the following data: Darjiling,. 26-ix-08 [IJr'unettiJ; Phagu ·(9~000 ft), II-v-Og [Annandale]; Simla (7,000 ft.), r6-v-oq, 'on flowers of white stonecrop [A nnandaleJ ; Matiana (8,000 ft., Simla District), 28-30-i,"-o7 [A nnandaie]; Naini 1'al (6-7,000 ft.) [Lloyd.' ; and S-vi-09 [Ind. Mus. Colt.]. A cI' in the Pusa collection taken by Mr. Howlett at Simla. in x-( 8. N.B.-A very distinct and rather hand~ome species some­ what allied to rufibasis. Its blalk dorsum and yellow s:des, to at least the front part of the thorax, win separate it from all my species with a wing spot, except rufipectus, from which it is, however, distinguished by its Larger siz~, Sll perior. robustne .... s, an<;l usually round-shaped wing spot.

Sepsis violacea, Mg.

Five f~males taken by me at S}langhai, 16-iv-06, appear to be this European species, although they do not quite agree either with the description, or with specimens from Europe. The cI' I909·] , E. B~UNETTI : New Oriental Sepsince. 35I taken by me the satne day at Shanghai, and which I dubiously refer to punctum, F.,.m~y'possibly be the ci' of violacea, as, I h~ve never seet;l t.ha t se~ of this species, and two other fiT cI' taken with them (now in the Indian Ml1seum) more nearly approximate to what I. shou~d exp~ct v.i,olacea, d' ~ ~o be l~ke. I have nev~r seen a ('/' molac~a or a ~ punctum.

Sepsis flava t mihi, sp. nov (Plate xiii, figs. 4, 5.)

d' India. Long. 2-3 rqm. H~ad.-I;t'rons, fa~e, back of head, proboscis, mouth, under side of head and antennre wholly orange-yelL)w. Upper side of antennre sonletimes a little darker, and there is sometimes a blackish 'irregular line acr035 the back of the head, ju.,t below the vertex. - The ocelli are placed on three small black spots, between which emerge t'Yo 'bristles. Three pairs of ,bristles occur along the vertex, one in the centre, an:i one b~hind the corner of each eye. Tho,rax normally entirely orange-yellow, sometimes an irregu­ lar darker part. or streak or two on dorsum. Four dorso-central bristles. Scutellum cOllcolorous, a stiff bristle near fore border in front of each spine. A bdomen reddish ot'ange; the extreme base, the posterior border of second segment, ani more or less of the third and fourth segmep.ts, ,blackish. Tip of abdomen, orange-yellow.· The black colour varies considerably .in intensity and extent, sometimes being 'reduced to the posterIor half of the third segment, with a little on the fourth and fifth, ~nd sometimes covering alJ t~le abdo­ men 'except the basal half of the second and the ahdoln('n tip. The whole abdomen is covered with ~catterecl, stiff hairs, including a more or less regular row near the pO.3ter ior qorder of each seg~ mente 1'hese are much longer than in any of my previously d~s­ cribed species, and are almost as long as the usual pairs of ,spiny bristleS towards the sides of the second to the fifth ~egments. Geni­ talia large and con5picuo'U3, orange-yellow, with strff hairs. Legs.-Front pair- entL ely yellow, with soft hairs; femora with a .arge enlargClnent on basal half below, bearing five or six black spines of different lengths; tibire widened on. apical half, this half being contracl~d 'in the middle and bare, whllst the basal halt bears.a ro'w' of short stout s?ines P~sterior leg; yellow, with soft black pubescence; the basal half' of the tibire and to­ wards 'the tarsi tips, mort' or less brownish. Middle f~mora with a few spiny bristles below abdut the middle; the hinel pair with a bristle or two" apparent1; irregularly place~. Mitldle tibire with a row of spines behind one on the out<:r side in the tniddle and ~ few at the tip" 'Hind'tibire with a few on the apical half, irregu­ larly placed on the outer and hinder side's. All the tarsi with ~hort 352 Records of the Indian Museurll. [VOl,. III, hairs and some bristles; hind metatarsus bearing at extreme hase a row of four strong spines close together, followed by a further row of several others, wider apart, along its whole length. liJ/ings clear; wing spot of considerably variable size and intensity, often reduced to a small brownish oval suffusion, or almost a mere dash at tip of second vein; third and fourth veins parallel, not diverging at tips. Inner cross-vein at a little beyond middle of discal cell. Basal cells united, through the absence of the intermediate veinlet. Veins yellowish brown. Described from several rjJ d' in the Indian Museum collection, beating the following data: Calcutta, 14-vi-07, I I-vii-07 , 2S-v-09. Jalpaiguri, I-vB-oB (in railway carriage); Puri, IB-i-oB [Annandale]. Rajmahal, S-vii-og [A nnandale] ; Tinpahar, near Rajmahal, Bengal, 7-vii-oq. Allahabad, 12-viii-og [LordJ. Als,o from six specimens in the Fusa collection taken at that place on shrubs and manure, 2 g-v-06 , 29~vi-07, I-vii-07, 27-vii-07. ' N.B.-The amount of black in both thorax and abdomen is very variable, especially in the latter. In one specimen from Puri, Bengal, the,whole thorax is brownish; and i~ another frotu the same locality there are traces of four dorsal blackish stripes. A specimen in my collection taken by me at Jhansi, 2-viii-05, is simi­ larly marRed, and has in addition several additional strong spiny bristles on the posterior part of the thorax. Yet I have no doubt both specimens belong to this species.

Sepsis rufipectust mihi, sp. nov. ~ India. Long. 2! mm. Head.-Frons brown, black about the vertex and on back of head. Face, cheeks and antennre light yeUo\v ochre; mouth border narrowly black; proboscis brown. Thorax (slightly injured).-Dorsum shining black, apparently four dorso-central bristles. Sides shining black; shoulders r(·d­ dish yellow, the colour spreading immediately downwards to the lower part of the thorax and carried forward below in front. Sternopleur'a shining black; no signs of grey dust. Scutellum and metanotum blackish, moderately shining. ..A bdomen shining black to the tip·, . base at sides a little hght brown1sh. Apparently no large spiny bristles, but towards posterior border of third, fourth and fifth segments, a row of some­ what stronger bristly hairs than the general pubescence of the abdomen. Genitalia small, shining black, with some hairs. ,Legs yellow, with soft pubescence; middle tibire nearly to the tip, hind tibire whol1y) and the apical half of all the tarsi, rather dark brown. Fore femora with a few bristly hairs below, near the base. Posterior femora apparently unspined. l\liddle tibire with a bristle on inner side, abont the middle; hind tibi~ (of the unique specimen) do not possess any bristles but they have probably been accidentally broken off. All tarsi with bristles below, longest on fore pair, two spines at base of hind metatar~us. 190 9·J E. BRUNETTI: iVew Oriental Sepsince. 353 Wings clear; spot fairly well defined, but without clear-cut edges, brownish, oval. Inner cross-vein at just beyond middle of discal cell. Described from a single ~ in the ndian Museum collection, labelled Bhogaon (West Bengal), 6-x-08 [Pait'a]. N.B.-Several spechnens of both sexes in the above collec­ tion may represent varieties of this species, or further additional ones.

Sepsis tinctat mihi, sp. nov. (Plate xiii, figs. 6, 7.) d' ~ India. Long. 2!-2-! mm. H ead.-Frons shining black. Face, mouth, proboscis, lo\ver part of head and lower part of ocular orbit, reddish yellow to reddish b~own, the colour often extending to just above the an­ tennre, which are reddish yellow to reddish grey, the basal part and the upper side of third joint more or less blackish. Thorax blackish, shining, .no tinge of any. other colour. Four .conspicuous dorso-central bristles. Sternopleura shining black. Abdomen. shining black. The second segnlent (which some­ times is faintly pale at sides or on posterior border) is barely humped up in the d', as in Inost species. Moreoyer it is SOlne­ what attenuated in the d' , and the whole abdomen in this sex is somewhat narrower than usual. There are in one specimen two or three rather small spiny bristles on the fourth and fifth segments, but in the remainder they are absent, although some of the bristly hairs occurring in the spots where the spines usually occur, are somewhat longer than those scattered over the entire abdomen. Practically it is a species bare of abdominal spiny bristles. Genitalia very .large and conspicuous in the cI, triangular in shape, shining black; in the ~ very small and pointed, or with­ drawn. Legs.-Coxre yellow, fore pair wholly so, paler; posterior coxre reddish yellow, blackish on basal portion. Fore femora reddish yellow, with upper side more or less blackish, the variation in colour being considerable. On the under side is an enlargement (narrowing towards and at the tip), which bears two large spines, with a smaller one between theln, also .. just beyond (on a small elevation) two small spines. There are two or three bristles at the base. Fore tibia (cI ) narrow on basal half, with a row of short spines on inner side, extending nearly to the middle, where, to the end, the tibia suddenly widens considerably, but is bare; in the ~ the difference in width is inconspicuous, the tibia gradually widening. Posterior femora and tibire black, the former always narrowly pale at base., the middle tibire slightly pale at tips. Knees rart!ly, narrowly pale. 1i he femora are apparently bare of spiny bristles, the middle tibire bear two in the middle (outside and behind), with SOlne at 354 Records of the Indian M useunl. [VOL. III, the tip; the hind tibire have two similarly placed about the middle. but none at the tip. All the tarsi minutely sp;ned below, with larger ones inter­ mixed, h;n 1 metat~rsi with three strong spines of uneven length, below at hase. All tarsi dirty yellow, blackish to'war( l~ tips. lVings practica"ly clear wing spot in the form of a distinct suffusion at the end of the second vein, and diminishing gradually poc:;teriorly, its extent varyin'~ in different specimer!s, sometimes to the third lon~itudinal vein, or, in one examDI~, almost to the hind border of the win~. The thirrl and fourth veins are slightly tinged, as though thickened, inlmediately in a line behind the suffu~ion, and they are more nea.-Iy parallel than in lineatipes. The inner cross-vein at ju';t beyond the m'dd'e of the discal cell. The ba~al cells are united, by reac:;o!.1 of the absence of the usual intermediate yei'n. Halteres yellow. Described from three d' d" and six 9 9 in the Indian- Museum collection, all from localities in India. Locs.-Puri (Orissa, East Coast), 18-19-i-oB; J alpaiguri, I-vii-oR, in railway .carri:lge; Shencottah (South India), 25-xi-08 [all AnnandaleJ; Calcutt~, 2Q-v-07, I7-vii-07,I-vi-07 [Annandale, Paiva, CaunterJ; between Bolpore and Rampore Raut (Bengal), at light in railway carriage, 3-yiii-07 LPaiva J; Katihar (Bengal), 24-iii-og, one 9 rPaiva]; Rajmahal (Bengal), S-vii-og rAnnandale J ; SitarampC?re, Ben<2;aJ) Io-viii-oq rLord J ; Dhikala, g-v-Ol) ; J umnogwar, 14-v-oQ, both in the Garh~val District, Western Himalayas; Tinpahar (Bengal), 7-vH-oq; 'Gnchagaon (plains of Naini Tal Di~tri('t), 7-h'-cg; Allahabad, IS-viii-og [Lord]. In the Pusa col­ lection, from PGsa, 14-xii-07 and v-oB. N .B.-A~though near to lineatipes, this spe~ies is very distinct, and may be at once distinguished by the shining black stprno­ pleura, the attenuated second abdominal segment in the cI', the practical ahsence of spines on the abdomen, the almc.lst \vhoUy black posterior femora, the large CJ"I gt~nitalia, the differently shaped fore femora in the CJ"I, and by the darkened \ving mark, which always appears as a suffusion, gradually dying away pos­ teriorly, instead of a fairly distinct spot, althollgh tolerably faint, and with ill-defined but roughly circu1 ar outline. MJreover the present species seems to occur in the plains only, whereas lineatipes I only know from Darjiling.

Sepsis lineatipest mihi, sp. nov.

d" Darjiling. Long. ,2*-3 mm. H ead.-Frons shinin~ black, \vith a tendency to change just above the antennre to the rejdish bro\vn colour of the face ,and mouth. On -each side cf the mouth, a narrow hlack stripe, on which is placed the u.3ual row of bristles. Probo';cis reddish yellow. Antennre black, the whole under side of third joint reddish yellow. E. BRUNETTI: New Oriental Sepsince. 355 Thorax black, with a slight dark' green tinge. Four dorso­ central bristles. Sternopleura grey du~ted. A bdomen shining violet-black, second segment at sid~s and above sometimes with a reddish brown o· violet-brown tint, but some­ timec; entirely violet-black./ Tip of abdome'1 C'Sixth segment) yel­ lowish in one specimen, which has the apical hnlf of the abd.omen of a greenish bronze tint. Seconi segment with two or' thre~ rather small but distinct bristles towards the sides, third, fourth and fifth segments with a stron~ l1ristle towards the side of each, sixth seg­ ment with some bristly hairs. Le

Sepsis dissimilis, mihi, sp. nov. (Plate xiii, fig. 8.)

d' <] India. Long. I~-2 mm. Head, d', entirely yellow, frons reddish yellow, vertex round, ocelli blackish, antennre reddi5h yellow) eyt!s black; <], frons blackish, with'rcdrlish marks, antennre dar~er, back of' head black. Thorax " ci', in one specimen wholly reddish yel~ow, with. a dU5ky dorsum \vhich is slightly darkt::r on the postenor part; In the other d" dull reddish yellow with two blackish ill-defined stripes towards the'sides. Sternopleurre reddish yellow, a little grey dusted. 9 , wholly shining black, includin~ the sternopleurre. Sides of thorax reddi~h in front below the sh )ulders. Scutellum brownish ye1low ( d" ), or black ( 9). Four distinct and large dorso-central bristle3 in both sexes .

• ______4_ J' These are not fully present ill anyone specimen: but in two or thre.c t~lere are ceo tain tral'es of them having been p ese'lt, an·1 In at l~ast one specimen, U single bristle (rather short) of the anterior pair is sljJl intact. Records 0; the I'I1,dian Museum. [VOL. III"

A bdo'l1ten, d' , reddish yellow, dorsum, especially of the third and fourth segmt:"nts, violet-black, fifth yellow. "9, wholly violet-' black, tip greenish, shining. In the cI' the third, fourth and fifth segments each bears a pair of strong bristles towards the posterior border, but they are not visible in the ~ (the 9 specimen is in equally good condition as the ci'). Legs (middle pair wanting in ci') yellow, p:>st~rior tibire brown­ ish; tips of tarsi black; coxre in cI' pale yellow; posterior femora ill 9 brownish towards tips. Fore femora in d" enlarged with a bump in the micldle, belo\\y, bearing three short spines. A single strong long spine precedes the bump, which is followed by the leaf­ shaped appendage bearing a short spine. A little black hair at the base, on I he inside of the fore femora, and a strong spine on ,the outer side, in the middle. Fore tibire ( I~) contracted at base and middle, with a few bristles on b J.sal h'lIf. Posterior femora ap­ parently bare of bristles; posterior tibire with a few bristles on apical half. . rv ings, as in tincta; inner cross-vein distinctly beyond middle of discal cell; two b'asal. cells 'distinctly separ'ated~ Described from a pair in, cop. and an additional d' taken at ~hasthal1cottah', 12 miles N.N.E. of Quilon, South India,. by Dr. Annandale, 8-xi-08; a if from Rajmahal, Bengal;s-vii-og [Annan­ dale]; and ~ cI' from the Garh wal District, Western Ilimalayas: g-v-og. N.B.-This species is the only one seen by me in which'so much difference appears in the sexes, and but for'Dr. Annandale's assurance that they were personally taken in cop. by him, I should have regarded them as distinct. The species is near both {lava (d') and coprophila ( 9 ) but may be distinguished from each by the basal cells being distinctly separate, instead of united. I know of no species in which the abdominal strong bristles are present in the c:I' only, yet there is no trace of any in the type ~ of this species, which specimen is in as equally good condition as the ci'

Sepsis dilatat mihi, sp. nov. ? ci'. Bengal. Long. 21 mm. barely. H ead.-Frons and back of head black; antennre, face, pro­ boscis and lowe'r part of head, reddish. Thorax black, two dorso-central hristles, curved inwards at tip. The two scutellar bristles rather close together, long, somewhat erect and waved. Side" of thorax, especially towards the front, slightly dark brown. Sternopleurre not white dusted. A bdomen shining black, with soft hairs only. Legs.-Fore pair yellow, postt'rior legs reddish, hind femora slightly brownish, hind tibire black, also tips of tarsi, and hin:! meta­ tarsi, the latter with a few large spines below at base. Hind tibitB distinctly dilated 011, apical hall. Middle femora \\'ith a bristle in the middle in front and a row of short stiff hairs below near tip; mldd Ie tibire with a bristle on inner and 011 hinder sides towards tip. 19°9-] E. ·BRUNET1'I: New Oriental Sepsince. 357 TVings clear, but with a distinctly perceptible but rather faint suffusion at tip of second vein. Inner cross-vein at middle of discal cell; basal cells distinctly united; third and fourth veins parallel. Described from one example in the Pusa collection taken at Pusa, on tobacco. 22-iii-06. N.B.-The fore· femora are sotnevvhat B.attened and distorted evidently by accident, and it i~ rather difficult to determine the sex' but from their apparent depth I believe the specimen to he ad" No spines or bUlnps are visible on the fore femora the tibire of which are simple. The dilated hind tibice will -easiiy distinguish this species from all others known from the East. This species is the only one I have seen which causes any doubt as to whether to include it in the " wing spotted" or "wing clear" division of the genus. As in some of the specimens of both my tin-eta and my !lava, the spot becomes nluch fainter than usual, thou~h always· d-istinctly present, I include the species in tne " wing spotted" division.

Sepsis indica, Wied. (Netnopoda lusci1Jentris, Big., nom. nud., in Indian Museum collection.) H.err Meijere classed this specie~ with the unrecognisable ones of the older authors. Having identified a good series from South India to my satisfa~tion with this species, specinlens were sent for .comparison with the· type to the Vienna lVluseum, where they were kindly coufirmed by Herr Handlirsch as correctly named. I there­ fore redescribe it at some length from the· good series of freshly

('aptured specimens i.n the Indian l\Iuseum I hecause it must be taken as the typical form of a group of more or less common Oriental species; its nearest allies being ruta, Mg., and trivittata, Big., from which the differe'1c~s are n'Jted in my redescription. ~t is evi:iently widely distributed in tl:te East, and appears in the In,dian Museum from the follow-ing localities:- Calcutta, 1S-xi-xii-06 [Brunetti]; 2g-iv-07, jo-ix-07, 8-x-07 [Caunter]; Rajmahal (Bengal), 3 r-vii-07; Sadiya (Assam); Rungpo (Sikhim), 1,400 ft .. 6-ix-09; Maddathorai. Iq-xi-08, and Pallode, IS-xi-08 (both South India, taken by Dr. Annandale; at the latter place he founn it swarming on dung). Tinpahar (near Rajmahal, Bengal), 7-vii-0 9; Goal bathan, East Bengal,_ 9-vii-09. Also in my collection from Calcutta.

R edescJ iptio 11.

(Plate xiii, figs. 9--- 1 3.)

d" ~ India and the Orient. Long. 3 to nearly 5 mtll. H ead.-Frons, face and antennre vary from lighting reddish yellow to nearly black; second joint of antennre with fairly long 358 Records of the Indian M useUffl. [VOL. III, bristle. Proboscis yellow. Back of head reddish yellow, blackish towards vertex, some bristles in the centre, behinn. Thorax normally, wholly reddish 'yellow, with a broad black dorsal stripe which varies very considerably in width, sometimes occupying the greater part of the dorsum and being of uniform width throughout, sometimes reduced to a much narrower stripe, which na-trows still more at the anterior margin. What I consider the typical 'form are those examples \vith a fairly wide stripe of equal width. Sides of thorax with a rather broad greyish white shimmering band" across the sternopleurre, extending narrowly to the pectoral corners. Beneath this grey shimmer, and shining through it, the ground colour on this part is in some specimens black, the sternopleurre hearing al~o in these a small black streak on each side, towards the fro~t. Four strong dors'o-central bristles. Two rows of distinct, short bristles extend from them almost to the anterior margin, the first in t"'ach ro\v (contiguous to the anterior pair of dorso-central ones) being considerably larger than the remain::ler. A third longitud~n~l row of minute bristles occurs in the middle of the dorsum. Scutellum and matanotum reddish yellow. Abdomen normally, reddish yellow, more or less irregularly marked with black, which sometimes occurs as a dorsal stripe, sometimes as iarge spot3 on the segmet:It, sometimes occupies nearly the ",·!iole ahdomen. Third-, fourth and fifth segment with four strong spiny bristles, the two outer one.s on the fifth segment being placed at the, sides. Second segment generally with two bunches of bristly hairs at each side, ~he hinder bunch the stronger. Genit Jia reddish yellow, with two strong bristles, rather large and complicated. " Legs reddish yellow'; fore pair' paler, hind tibire dark brown', and all the tarsi black tovvards the tips. Fore femora not so thickened as in many species, lightly' pubescent , bearing a peg-like bump below,' in the middle (which bears three or four' short spines), followed by the leaf-shaped ~ppendage. There are no strong spines on the fore femora below, but three or four ~tiff hairs towards the. tips ~ a~d two or, three spiny bristles' above, near tip. Fore tibire slightly enlarged just beyond the base, and again on apical half, \vhich latter bears a row of stiff very short, spiny bl iSLles towards the outer side and for the whole leng~h 01 the apical half 01 the tibia. The basal half of the lore tibia is entirely bare of bri~t1es or spines-. Fore metatarsi with two long black spines below at base, and some yellowish red pubescence. Posterior femora with no conspicuous bristles, but one or two at tip above, on the middle pair, and a few ~mall ones on hind pair above at tip. Middle tibire sometimes blackish towards the base, with thr{'e or four insignificant bristles in the neighbourhood of the middle, one on the outer and two on the hindel\ side, also a few at the extreme tip. Hind tibire with normally, two on hinder side on apical half, and one on outer side .just below the middle. Ig0g.] E. BRUNETTI : New Oriental Sepsince. 359 }if'ings clear; fourth longitudinal vein rather bowed but parallel to the third towards tip. ' Describ~d from numerous d' ci' and, 9 2 in the Indian Museum, ~aptured by Dr. Annandale in South In:iia. Other specimens in th~ Muse,um coll~ction, and in' m\9 ,own from various' Oriental loca1:ties, agree with the' species. The South India series'show all varieties, were very common on dung, ani were exatnined and described soon aft~r capture when in perfect condition. This species is nearest to tri1.littata, Bigot, ani ruta, Macq. The former is re<;ognised by the wholly rei-yellow thoracic dor,ium, in conjunction with the very spiny legs. Rula, Macq., is nearest to indica, but the fore le~s will always at least distingui~h the males. In ind,ica. tJ:1e fore femora ar~ only slightly thickened, there are no separate strong spines below before the bump, which latter takes the form of a rather elongated peg, and the fore tibia:- are bare at. the ,b'lse and possess a row of bristles on apical half. In 'i'uta the fore -femora are considerably thickened, with two strong spines just before the, bump, w~ich is short, fan-shaped, with four. or five short spines; the fore tibire have a short row of bristles near the base., the apical half being bare.

Sepsis trivittata,- Big.

Males of this species are in the Indian ~Iuseum from Margher­ ita (A~~am) : Rangoon, ?4-ii-08 rA nllanialel; Palloie, 15-xi-08, and Maddathorai, 19-xi-08 [both South India, Annandale}. In the Pusa collection from Pusa, 15-vii-07.

Sepsis rufa, ~lacq. Both sexes in the Indian l\Iuseum from Tharballi (Nepal), 27-ii-08 ; Gangtok, Sikhitn (6,-100 ft.), q-ix-09; Shi110ng ; Mandalay, 12-iii-08 [Annandale];. Rangoon, 24-ii-oS "Annandale]; Darjiting, 7,000 ft., 28-ix-08 [Brunetti]; Kurseong, 5,000 ft., 3-9-vii -08 [Annandale] ; Calcutta, 20-ii-~7, 17-ix-07, 28-x-07, 27-xi-07 : Puri, 18-i-08 [AnnandaleJ; Bhogaon, 6-x-08 [Paz·va]. Katihar (Bengal), common, 23--26-iii-og [Paiva] ; Tillpah~r (Bengal), 7-vii-oq. Taken also by Mr Howlett at Simla in October 1908, and I have seen it from Pusa, 2g-v-06. The dark variety mentioned by Herr Meijere (Ann. Mus. Hung., iv 182) with all-black thorax (\vith or without a more or less di~tillct dark red side-stripe), second abdominal segment often with two slightly yellowish marks, dark red-brown frons and posterior femora often only streaked above with black, was conlmon at Katihar (Purneah District, BengalL 23 -26-iii-09 [Pa~va]. The male~ are easily recognised from those of coprophila, Meij., by the fore femora but the females of this vari~ty approximate very closely to those of coprophila. The variety is,.s111aller than the typical form. Records 0/ the In.d1:an Museum.

Sepsis spectabilis, Meij. Specimens of both sexes collected by Dr. Annandale at Mad­ dathorai, 18-xi-08, Pallode, IS-xi-08, and Nedumangad, 14-xi-08 (all Travancore, South India), are certainly referable to this species, and agree very well with specimens named by Meijere. I have a 9 in my own collection which I took at Penang, 3-8- viii-06 ; and two specimens taken by me in Calcutta, 6-x-04 and 6-iii-05. It is a somewhat variable species, as stated by its author.

Sepsis brevicosta, mihi, sp. nov.

d' 9 India. Long. 3 rom. This species is very closely allied to spectabilis, Meij., and for some time I regarded it as a variety of that species, especially as I had seen ,no cr- that I could join with the 9 form. H.owever, a (jI captured recently in ~alcutta agrees so well that I am con­ strained to believe it to be this sp'ecies. The fore 'femora are not easily seen in the specimen, but they are fairly strongly thickened on the basal two-thirds, and bear a strong spine some distance, froin the base, a small bump with three or four strong short spines, and possibly a further spine or two on the distal portion. The fore tibire bear a short row of short spines at the base. In this species the dorsum of the thorax is mu~h more covered with short black bristles than in spectabitis; and.the sternopleura alone are blue-grey dusted, instead of this colour being carried for­ ward as in Meijere's species. Tpe abdomen is wholly black, except the (usually) reddish basal portion of the second segment. 1\nother and more striking peculiarity is the costal vein, which becornes suddenly so faint as to appear to' terminate abruptly just 'beyond the second longitudi­ nal vein. In nineteen specimens of true spectabilis examined by me (including a d" and two 9 9 sent by Herr Meijere) , this latter pecu­ liarity is not present; yet I have seen it occasionally in specimens of ruta, Macq.', and a tendency to it in two specimens I refer ,to the vicinity of my rufipectus. Moreover, the tip of the wing just below the apparent termination of the costa, is distinctly whitish, another character that I have not observed in specta­ bilis. The two species are about equal in size, and brev1:costa seems to be generally distributed in India. The only d" I have seen comes from Calcutta, 28-v-og. Females are from Calcutta, 24--28-iv-og, Shencottah, 2S ... xi-08 [Annandale]; Tinpahar, Bengal, 7-vii-09. The Pusa collection has it from Pusa, z6-xi-08, taken on a manure heap at that' place; also one from Lahore, May 1907. A 9 in my collection was taken by me in Calcutta, z8-x-04. 190 9.] E. BRUNETTI: New Oriental Sepsince.

Sepsis adjuncta, mihi, sp. nov. (Plate xiii, .:fig. 14.)

d' South India. Long. 3 mm. This species is very closely -allied to Herr Meijere's recently described spectabilis J (jr 9 , from New Guinea and Singapore. The disti!lctly ~i~erently formed fore femora separate ;t; as in lny speCies, thls 11mb bears on a not very pronounced bump five or six short but strong black spines, whilst two longer and stronger spines are situated just before the bump. Meijere only men­ tions two spines) placed on the peg-not bump-and his figure is quite unlike t~e foreleg of my species; and on comparison with a d" and two 2 2 (co-types) the species appears distinct. The middle tibii:e have some spines on the inner sine) and the middle femora three or four short but distinct spines on the front side, about the middle. The abdomen possesses a few bristles towards the side of the s~cond segment, four distinct long bristles near the posterior ,edge of both third and fourth segments, two on the fifth and some bristly hairs on the genitalia, which in one specimen is almost entirely concealed. The thorax bears very distinct short hairs over its entire sur­ face; they ~re more numerous than in most species, whereas Meijere says his species is nearly bare on the thorax. In all other-'respects my species agrees with spectabilis.

Described froni two ~ r:J' taken by Dr. Annandale at Pallode.t IS-xi-08. Sepsis brevis, mihi, sp. nov.

(Platex iiit fig. IS.)

d' Central India. Long. It mm. l/ead wholly reddish yellow, including antennfe and proboscis; ocelli black. Thorax rather hroader and deeper than usual. Wholly reddish yellow, the dorsum with traces of black indistinct marks. Four dorso-central bristles. Scutellum black on under side. A bdomen reddish yello\v, marked irregularly with black; third segment with some bristly hairs on posterior horder; fourth and fifth with a strong ~piny bristle towards each side. Legs wholly reddish yellow, practically to the tips. Fore femora below with a thick row of strong black spines 01 -irregular length, and extending nearly. the whole length of. the f~mur. Fore tibire with a short row of strong, short, black spines on Inl1e-r side at base. Middle tibire with three bristles behind, in the middle·' one on inner side, in the middle, and a few at tip. Middle'metatarsus with a row of well separated bristles Lelow. Hind femora with a bristle above, near tip; hind tibire with bristles as on middle pair; hind tarsi bristly below, the metatarsus with four strong ones in a row at the base. Records of the Indian Museum. [VOL. III,

Wings clear; third and fourth veins parallel ~ inner cross-vein at middle of discal cell; basal cells united. Halteres reddish brown. Described from a cf in the Pu~a collection (type) and a second ci" in the Indian Museum collection- (co-type). Both specimens from Baroda, Central India, taken r-iv-os. N.B.-This is a well-marked sp~cies, di:;tinguishable by its rather short and thick-set appearance, and. easily identified by the conspicuous row of_ spines on th~ fore fern )ra, which latter are thickene:i but without any bu np3 or p~g-1ike protuberances. The spe~ies is in general appeara'lce something like my fllva, but will be grJuped as a sC)mewhat abnorm l1.one with the indica set of species, coming nearest to Herr Meij ere's ten ella .

'Sepsis tenella, Meij.

Spec~mens that I can refer without- doubt to thi~ species ( d' a". only) occur in the Museum collection from Sylhet, 15-v-05 rHallJ; Chittagon'5, 5-viii-2I-ix:.o8 tHallJ; Sukna (b3.c;e of Dar­ jilillg . Hills), I-vii-08 [Annandal~J; Tinpahar (Bengal), 7-vii 09; Rajnlahal (Bengal), on cowdllng, S-vii-og [A nnandaleJ; 'rrivandrum (S. India), 12-xi-oo [Annandale].

Sepsis coprophilat Meij. The Indian MU:S~~lm .possesses this species from Darjiling, g-viii-og; Calcutta, l6-iii-07, 5-viii-o~, 23-~)I-X-07; Barrack­ po!"e (near Calcutta), I-viii-og; Pallode -(So Indi3.), IS-xi-08; Rangoon, 2.:J-ii-03; 1\Iandalay, I2-iii-08 rall A nnandaleJ; Bhogaon (Bensal)., 6-20-viii-07 and 2 -6-x-08; also' Katihar (Purneah District, Ben-;al), 23-iii-og, five 9 9 [both Paiv.l]; Tinpah3.r (near Rajmahal, Bengal), three d' d" ,two Q Q , 7-vii-og; Batavia, xi-o 7, and Samarang (J ava), i-06 [both Jacobson J. In my colle~tion I have it from Peradeniya, Ceylon, xi-07 [Green]. N.B -The variety mentione:l by the author of the species, \yith re:ldish sides to the thorax, bears consitlerable resemblan('e to my fulvolatera!is, fi om which; of course: the clear win~'3 sepa­ rate it. In one ci" the second bas 11 ce!1 is merged in the first, through the absence of the intervening veinl~t; this irres;ularit~t, by the way, occurs occasionally in other speci~s. Thl~ form appro~imates closely to the sm3.H. nark form of ruta, Mcq., and the females are often difficult to distinguish.

Sepsis humeralist mihi, sp. nov.

ci' 9 Simla. Long. 3-3!- mm. Head d' .-Frons and antennre black; under side of head reddish brown, back o~ head blackish. Thorax blackish; two dors)-central bristles. Sides blackish· ~ mesopleura shining black, sternopleura barely dusted. Humeral 190 9.] E. BRUNETTI: New Ori·ental·S-epsinfP. cells and sides of thorax below them, ahd t4e whole, prothorax below, re~-brown·. .Scutellum bla~kish J tip reddish brown. Abdo~en blackish, with a"violet tinge; 'a.-little'reddish at base of. second segment~ ~ 0 strong bristles;' but a row of' tither longer hairs on the posterior border of- third and Jourth seginent~3", the fifth bearing numerous long hairs. Abdo'men rather swollei\ towards tip; genitalia concealed~ but apparently 'of -large size and' ~omplicated form. Legs.-Coxre reddish brown, front pair pale yellowlo'wards tips. Fore femora 1?rownish' 'yellow, bases and tips paler, with a row 0/ about 12 strong' bristles below, ~ extending' nearly 'all the length of the limb, and diminishing in size towards the, tip. A single long- stiff hair at the base. Fore tibire 'pale yellow,' with a row of short black spines 011 inner side, extending well beyond th~ middie. Fore m~tatarsi brown with golden yellow pubescence below; rest of fore tarsi black. (Middle legs missing.) Hind femora blackish brown, pale at tips, with some stiff hairs below; hind tibire black. Wings clear; third and fourth longitudinal vein~ nearly parallel; inner cross-vein at three-fifths of the discal cell. Described from one perfect d' (except for the absence of middle legs) in the Pusa collection taken by Mr. Howlett at Simla in October 1908, and a 9 in my collection from Hongkong, 4- iii-06. Another 9 example 'was taken by Mr. Howlett at Simla in October 1908. 1'he face, antennre and frons just above them are al~ reddish brown, the back of the head yellowish.. There are four dorso-central spines; two strong bristles on the third, and four on the fourth abdominal segment. The legs are nearly all yellow, the middle fenlora slightly brown; the middle tibire bear a .few bristles, and the hind femora possess no stiff hairs below. I can only presume the abdominal bristles have been broken off in the d' specimen, leaving no trace, as the ex~mplep are so similar, and from the same locality. N.B.-In a headless specimen in the Indian Museum collection taken by me at Sh~nghai, r6-iv-06 (the head was pre5ent when I first identifi~d it with this species), the legs are nearly all yellow as in the above 9. The specimen a150 shows the bulged abdomen at tip, and also has no spines on the' abdomell. I cannot, however, suggest that the spines are a ,sexual chara~ter.

Sepsis nepalensist mihi, sp. nov.

9 Nepal. Long. 41 mm. Head.-Frons and back of head shining b]ac~, 'mouth black. Lower part of head yellowish; antennre dull reddish ~ yellow, third joint cinereous grey dusted. Face bro'wnish 'yelloW (Probably vari­ able), with a slight viol~t-g~ey dust along the cheeks; pro­ boscis brownish yellow. Thorax.-,Dorsum dark olive-green, f~ur dorso-cent~al bristles.

Sides. shining blue-black, shoulders bright 'Yellow', I, Sternopleurre Records of the I '11di~n Museum. [VOL. III, wholly and conspicuously pale bluish-grey dusted, whilst there is also a distinct bluish grey narrow line just below the dorsum of the thorax, passing above the humeral yellow spot. Mesopleura shining aenous black; scutellum with posterior half reddish yellow, as are also the hind corners of the thoracic dorsum. Abdomen shining violet-black; first two segments black, with some soft hairs towards t4e sides of the second. Third segment without spines (? broken off), fourth and fifth with four spines each, towards posterior border; some bristles about the tip of the abdomen. Whole abdomen with soft hairs. Legs wholly yellow, with a faint indication of brownish. on upper side of hi~d femora; last three t~!"sal joints black. Hind femora with two bristles above, near tip; middle tibire with some. bristles on lower half and at tip; hind tibire with two on outer side beyond the middle. . Wings clear; inner cross-vein at three-fifths of the discal cell. Described from a single perfect unique 9 taken at Nagarkote, Nepal. Indian Museum collection.

Sepsis bicolort Wied.

(S. 1"avanica, Meij.) Wiedemann's description of this species is very brief, but specimens thus identified by me sent to both Herr Meijere and to the Vienna Museum have been confirmed as correctly determined; by the fo'rmer as identical with his iavanica, and by Herr Hand­ lirsch at Vienna as identical with bieolor, W., after comparison with the type. This species extends over a considerable region of the Orient, the Indian Museum possessing it from the following localities :- Thamaspur, r8-ii-08, Benikhola, I 7-ii-08 ,. and Sarah, 24-ii-08 (all Nepal); Sylhet, 20-ii-05, 3-IO-V-05 [Hall]; Gangtok, Sikhim, 9-ix-09; Kurseong, 5,000 ft., 5~vii-08, IO-26-ix-og; Darjiling, 2-x-08 [Brunetti], 6-viii-og; Simla, 7,000 ft., II-V-08 ; and Io-v-09 on flowers of white stonecrop; Naini Tal (6,000 ft.), 2-vi-og. Calcutta, 2-viii-I2-ix; (occurs" at light ") Rangoon, 24-ii-08 [all Annandale]; Bhogaon, 6-x-08, Katihar (Bengal), 23-iii-og [Paiva]; Tinpahar (Bengal), 7-vii-og; Rajmahal (Bengal), 5-vii-og [Annandale]. On board launch (at light), Mud Point, Hooghly R. [Jenkins]. Dr. Annandale found both sexes common in South India during November 1908, the localities being Shasthancottah, Trivandrum, Pallode, Tenmalai and Maddathorai (a11 Travancore State). Amongst these, several specimens of both sexes show traces of reddish colour on the side~ of the thorax, this variation being mentioned by Herr Meijere in his description of iavanica. In the Pusa collection it figures from Pusa, ii and 7-xii-08; also from the outskirts of Calcutta, I3-iii-oB. 19°9·] E. BR UNE1'TI ': - New Oriental S epsince.

~epsis pubipes, mihi, sp. nov. (Plate xiii, figs. r6-r8.)

ci'. Nepal and Sikhim. Long. 21-3 mm. Head shining black, antennre reddish. Thorax blackish; four dorso-central bristles. Sternopleura dis­ tinc~ly grey dusted, the grey dust extending forwards narrowly and- hindwards more' broadly. Scutellum and metanotum shin~ ing black. Abd:om~n shi~ing violet-black, with soft pubescence, under side occasionally a little pale. Second seglnerit somewhat elongated and contracted a little at tip. Dorsum apparently without prominent strong bri,stles, but there are two on the large, black genitalia, which are more conspicuous in some specimens than in others. Legs yellow, with soft black hairs. Hind femora and tarsi tips brown. Fore femora somewhat considerably enlarged below, with three small spines on a bump placed about the middle, and' four long spines in a row towards the tip, and verging round some­ what towards the outer side of the femur. Fore tibire swollen on lower side about the middle and again towards the tip, bearing four long spines between th~ base and the first swelling (verging round somewhat towards the inner side), and several smaller ones on the s~cond swelling. Fore tarsi with bristly hair below. Femora without bristles. Middle tibire with rather close rows of long black bristly stiff hairs on inner side, which contain also a row of a few strong bristles; the outer sides of this pair of tibire being quite bare. Middle metatarsi with four rows of stout bris­ tles placed on the outer, inner, front and hinder sides respectively, those on the front side being the strongest; rest of tarsus with bristly hair below. Hind tibire covered with rather close black hairs except on the inner side: hind metatarsus with a single row of long stiff bristles below, a row of much smaller ones on the outer side, and a fringe of very short golden pubescence below; rest of tarsus with short bristles below. Wings clear; inner cross-vein at about two-fifths of the discal cell; third and fourth veins parallel. Described frbm four ci' ci' in the Indian Museum collection taken at Thamaspur , Nepal, r8-2o-ii-08, and one cI' from Shamdang, Sikhim (3,000 ft.)" 7-i~-09. . N.B.-The most distinct species of any descnbed here, for although it is of normal appearance, the thick bristly hair on the posterior legs will distinguish it at once from all others known to m~. Sepsis. fasciculata, lnihi, sp. nov.

d' .. Ceylon; Calcutta. Long. 2! mm. H ead.-Frons shining black, with a pair 01 additional bristles, placed midway between those springing from amid the ocelli, and Records ot the Indian .Museum. [VOL. III, the antennre J and situated at the extreme edge of the frons, touching the eyes. Face black, with a perpen4icular reddish stripe just below the antennre, which are reddish; with the upper side a little blackish. Under side and the rather bristly proboscis reddish. Back of head shining blac,k. Thorax blackish (post~rior p~rt of dorsum inj ured by the pin), apparently four dorso-central bristles. ,Ste.rnopleura grey dusted only above; mesopleura.s4iniJ?g black; .scutellum blackish. A bdomen shining black. Second segment with several .strong bristly hairs towards sides; third and· fourtl1. with the usual pair each; which are hardly larger than. the bristly hairs which are scat­ tered over the whole dor~um, in~ermixe4 with hairs of various lengt4s.. . Genita~ia shining browni~h black; very large, conspicuous and of peculiar shape, elongate.d, thic~, with two long palp-like organs at the tip; with two stiff bristles at the extreme qase above, and. with generally scattered hairs. Th~ fou.rth ab.dom~rzal segment is ·dr.awn out below and carries a bunch of long, ciliated filaments Legs mainly yellow.. Fore femora only slightly enlarged below on basal half, where is placed 8: stiff long bristle, followed by a strong spine. In the _middle of the under side is another strong spine followed by a much wider, shorter and slightiy curved one. The fore tibice are narrow for the basal ,half ·and then suddenly widened to double their width~ A single spine is placed on the inner side of the basal half; the rest of .the tibia bearing (with the fore femora) short hairs, asis the ca~e with all the legs. Posterior femora without spines or strong bristles, the apical half mainly blackish. Post~rior tioire mainly blackish, without spines, even at tips. All the tarsi blackish towards tips, with a row of short, strong bristles below, intermixed on all the tarsi with short, thick, golden yellow pubescerice below, the hind pair bearing als9 a pair of s~all spines at the base, below. Wings clear; inner cross-vein at ,only just beyond. middle of disca 1 cell. Described from two d" d'; one (now the type) ~s in my own collection sent me by Mr. E. E. Green from Ceylon; the other wa~ in the Indian Museum collectiQn from Calcutta, r6-yi-07, but ·was accidentally.destroyed.

Sepsis viduatat Thoms. N emopoda formiciodes, B~g., nom. nud., in Indian Museum. This species is commonly distributed over the East, but appears more rarelY.in the hills. Locs.-Sukna (E; .. Himalayas) soo .ft.), I.-vii..:oB [Annandale]; Berhampur (Bengal), r-i-oB [Lloyd]; Calcutta, 29-v-07., ro-viii-' 3I-X; Maddathorai, rB-xi-oB, and Pallode',' is-xi':'oB [Annandale]; Rangoon, 25-ii-:-08 [A nnandale1; M~gherita (Assam),. Batavia., x-07 [J acobson]. The above localities are: represented in .the Indian 190 9 .. ] E. BRUNEtTI:' ·,·New Oriental Sepsina.

Museum, whilst ':1 _.have' t:ak..en ,it\)~yself, at~' RanO'oon 18-viii-06 Mani1~, 13-iii,:"0~, Soerabaya (Jav~) ~n.d JVIussoorie: th;se being i~ my own coll~ctlon. Thomson re~orded it from China. , I t is an easi,y recognised species, from' its: larger size (5-6 mm;), dull 'black 'colour, the abdomen'bearing whitish cross.. bands· its. 'whole appearance re'sembling: that of 'an ant. '

Enicita annulipest .. Meig. This 'common European species' .is quite common at most of the Himalayan hill stations, but it does not appear to frequent the plains ~:x;c~pt occasionally ~l~se ,to the bas~ of the Himalayas. LOcs.-Slmla (7,000 ft.), 24~lV-07, 6-v-07, 12-V-oB [Annandale]· Phagu (Simla' District, 8,700 ft.), 3-v-07, d' 9 in cop. [A n.nan~ d~!et; '. Kiif~i (8,000 ft:, Shnla Disfrict), 1 r -v-og [A nnandale] ; 'DarJlhng (5,000 ft.), 26-~~-1-X-08 [Brunetti]; (7,000 ft.), 7-viii-09, common; Kurseong, 4-V11-08 [Annandale]; MUssoorie, 20-z4-v-oS [Br1tnetti]; Kichha (plains of Naini Tal District), 4-iv-og; Pashoke (2,200 ft.), S-ix-og, and Gangtok (6,100 ft.), 9-ix-og (both Sikhim); Shillpng; Siliguri (base of Darjiling Hills) .. 18-zo-vii-07. Manipur (Assam, 6,400 ft.), vii-oS, two pairs in cop. [Pettigrew]. I have not seen any specimen from the plains, except the single one frOln Siliguri ,and one from Kichha, which places, it win be noted, are at the foot of the hills.

NEMOPODAt R. Desv. Of this genus I have not seen a specimen from the Orient. A species has been destribed by Bigot (retronotata, Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr., 1886, p. 391) from Celebes, but there is no certainty of it be­ l-onging to Nemopoda, although van der Wulp's Catalogue has it under that genus. Three" species" of N emopoda by Bigot figure in the Indian Museum collection all as nontina nuda. These are " 1\/. fusciventris " which is certainly S. indica, W ; "N. /orl1l £cio­ des" which is S. viduata, Thoms.; and (( pallipes," which is too damaged to recognise. The last being a female, its real genus cannot be ascertained. PIOPHILA, FIn. A ~ specimen taken by Dr. Annandale at Calcutta, IS-vii-oB. and a110ther at Kurseong, g-vii-08, agree perfectly with Herr Meijere's redescription of P. ruficornis, v. Wulp. A second specimen also in the Indian Museum is a cI' and differs from ruficornis by the whole face and under side of the head being yellow; nloreover the f~ont ~arsi are n~t dilated. The scutellum bears four spines as In tYPical ruficorn'ts but the bristles on the thorax are too damaged to describe with certainty. I have named it as a var. (flavifacies) of ruficor11,is, and am not sure that it is not a distinct species. Taken in Calcutta, I7-iv-0 7. Van der Wulp's measurement was 2 mm., my variety is 21-, the Calcutta specimen above mentioned, 3!. Records of the Indian Museum. [VOL. III,

Saltella setigera, mihi, sp. nov. (Plate xiii, fig. 19.) cJt "South India. Long. 4! mm. H ead.-Frons, vertex and antennre orange-red; frons with two broad, darker oyal brownish marks in the shape of a V. O<;eJli triangle blackish, with two small proclinate bristles. A small bristle on each side; "in the middle of the" frons" close to the. eye ~argin. Lower part of head, and proboscis yellowish; latter with some stiff hairs; mouth border with a row of stiff hairs on each side. . , Thorax tawny orange. Dorsum with a broad black stripe occupying one-third of t.he entire width. The dorsum is cover~d rather freely with sma11 black spines, which form four .rows on the part occupied by the black stripe, and form a rather b~oad irregular oval around the black part. There are also numerous similar short spines on the humeral region; two large ones each side in front of the wing, and a pair of large strong do~so­ central ones, near the posterior border; also two strong ones on the posterior corner of the dorsurn, on the edges. Many small ones are intermixed with the general plan of distribution. Scutellum bright (but not at all shining)· orange-red, with a strong spine each side a t the base and two a pical ones, close together, directed horizontally backwards. Abdomen fiat, normal; shining orange-yellow; major part of dorsum except at base and tip) black, shining, nearly bare. Numerous small hairs on each side of the basal segment, .which appears somewhat long, a fan-shaped row towards the side near the posterior border, and a few very small ones scattered over the dorsunl and sides of the whole abdomen. A fairly stiff bristle at the extreme edge, on each side of the second, third and fourth segments, and two diverging ones at the abdomen tip. Genital apparatus large, yellow, softly hairy, curved under" tip- of abdomen, with" small black spines at its tip. "' Legs orange-yellow, wholly covered, moderately thickly, with short black bristly hairs; tibire slightly darker; metatarsi yellowish white; 'rest of tarsi black; onychia brownish grey with a white fringe. Coxre bare, except for two strong bristles and several very small ones all near the tip. Fore femora thickened on basal two­ thirds, with six strong spines on upper side, six shorter strong ones below, in the centre, placed a little towards the inner side. On the outer side of this row is another row of eight or nine some­ what smaller ones and on the inner side of the femur is a single one, just above the centre lower ro\v. On the fore tibia! is a long row (extending from just beyond the base to the extreme tip) of strong very short spines, about twenty in number. On the middle femora, a long row on the front and lower side' on the middle tibire, a row of smaller ones on the outer; and 'a row of strong ones on the hinder side J a shorter row of strong ones on the- inner side; also a circlet of strong but not long ones at tip. On the 190 9.] E ..BRUNETTI : New Oriental Sepsince. hind f~m~ra a row of long ones on upper side, placed 'on the distal two-thirds, and a row of about six on' the lower side near the tip. ~n the hind tibire there are no strong ~nes, but the bristly hair 1S ~~ranged in seyeral. l

Saltella metatarsalisf mihi, sp. nov.

~ Bengal. Long. 3! mm. Head.-Top of head dark shining brownish red, more or less blackish in parts. Face, mouth and lower part of head yellowish, a little more brownish behind. Ocelli flat on the surface, with two diverging hairs between them. Antennre yellow,. microscopi­ cally pubescent; arista, basal half yellow, thickened, remainder forming a black bristle; second joint of antennre with a short bristle. Proboscis yellow, pubescent; oral orifice with two stiff, short, curved bristles each side, with a row of several hairs below iliem. . Thorax mainly reddish yellow.; dorsum, except extreme edges, wholly dull black, with some very short bristles, apparently irregularly placed. Humeral regions with several short black bristles, followed by a row of fouF- strong ones from the shoulder to beyond the base of the wings-all these placed just below the dorsum. Two bristles near posterior corners. Apparently only one pair of strong dorso-central bristles, possibly a smaller front pair (thorax in both specimens slightly damaged). Scutellum con­ spicuously orange-red, two basal bristles placed near the edge, and two apical ones close together directed horizontally backwards. A bdomen flat, normal, practically bare, shining black, except tip, which is whitish on ·under side. Legs.·-Fore coxre yellowish; posterior coxre brownish, base of femora brownish yellow. Remainder of legs black, except all the metatarsi which are pale yellowish white. All the legs rather closely beset with black hairs and short' bristles; in addition to which there is a row of stronger bristles on the upper and' lower ~ides of the fore femora the lower side of the middle f~mora) and a double row of short bristles below the hind tarsi. The po'sterior tibire are rather thickened towards the ends and bear in that part a few stronger bristles. Wings clear; veins and halteres yellow. Described from two examples in the Indian Museum collection, taken at Tinpahar (near Raj mahal , Bengal), 7-vi~-09, by Dr. Annandale. I? ecords 01 the Indian M useujtf. 'rVOL. III,

REVISED LIST OF 'tHE ORIENTAL SPECIES OF SEP'SIS. _ A. Wing with a spot at the tip. cynipseat L .. , t76~. F. S:t:tec. Loc.-Himalayas, Nepal. mode~tat ~eij., 1906. , A11:n. ~l:ls. Hung., iv, 172, ci' ~ Loc.-Cey19n ; W~stern~ ~ndia. , himalayensis, mihi, sp. nov.,,~ ~; plate xiii, figs. 1,2. Loc.-Darjili~g. simi lis, mihi, sp. nov, 'd' Loc.-Darjiling. rufibasist mihi, sp. nov.,. d' var. mai or, mihi, d' var. obscuripes, mihi, d' Loc.-Darjiling (typical form and both varieties). fulvolclteralis, mihi, sp. nov., d" Itoc.-Himalayas. violaceat Meig. loc.-Shanghai. apicalist Meij., rg06. Ann. Mus. Hung.; iv, 168, cj: 9 , pI. ii, I, fore leg d' Loc.-'Papua (Astrolabe Bay, Paumom u-Fluss, Moroka). Iimbata, Meij., 1906. Ann. Mus. Hung., iv, 169, d' ~ , pI. ii, 2, fore leg d" Loc.-Papua (Paumomu-Fluss, Moroka). basifera,. Wlk,;, 1859. Pro Linn. So. Lond., iii, 124, d' 9 Meij., Ann. Mus. Hung., iv, 170, d', pI. ii,'3 (wing), 4 (middle metatarsus), d" Loc.-Amboina, Aru Islands, Papua (Paumomu-Fluss). flavat mihi, sp. nov., ci" ; pI. xiii, 4 (foreleg, 6"),5 (hind leg,d"). Loc.-India (Bengal, Orissa). rufipectust mihi, sp. nov., d' Loc.-West Bengal. tincta, mihi, sp. nov., d" 9 ; pI. xiii, 6 (fore leg, d'), 7 (tip of ci' abdonlen). Loc.-India, Himalayas, Bengal, Orissa, South India. lineatipest mihi, sp. nov., d' Loc.-Darjiling. dissimilist mihi, sp. nov., ci" 9 ; pI. xiiit .g (fore leg, d' ). Loc.-South India (Quilon). dilatat mihi, sp. nov. (? d"). Loc.-Bengal. fascipest W,lk., r860. Pr. Linn. So. Lond., iv, r63, 9 Loc.-Macassar. linearis, Wlk., 1849. List. Dlpt. Brit. Mus., iv, 998, d' Loc.-Philippines. monostig~at Thoms., r868. Eugene Resa, Dipt., 587, d' Loc.-China. E. BRUNET,'l'I:' New Oriental Sepsi1ue. 371

B. Wing enti1'ely clear. indicat Wied., I830. Auss. Zweifl. J ii; 467 ; pI. xiiit 9-12 (thorax vars.), 13 (fore leg, d"). Loc.-.India; Calcutta, Bengal, South In'dia, Assam. trivittatat B~g., 1886. Ann. So. Ent. 'Fr., 388. Loc.--Bengal, South India, Assaln, Rangoon. rufa, Macq., 1850 . Dipt. Exot. Supp., iv, 269, 9 . Meij., Ann.~Mus'. Hung., iv, 17Q, d' ~ , and notes. Loc.-Nep'al J Assam, Himalayas, Bengal, Orissa, Ronl bay, Rangoon, Papua. Also Egypt, from when,ce originally described. spectabilis, Meij., 1906. Ann. Mus. Hung., iv, 179, d" ~ , pI. ii, 10 (fore leg, (jt). Loc.-Singapore, Papua (Stephansort), South India. brevicosta, mihi, sp. nov., d" ~ Loc.-Bengal, Punjab, South India. adjunctaf mihi, sp. nov., d'; pI. xiiit I4 ~fore leg, d'). Loc.--South India. brevis, mihi, sp. nov., d'; ,pl. xiii, IS (fore leg, d'). Loc.-Central India. tenella: Meij., 1906. Ann. Mus. Hung., iv, 183, c!' et (?) ~ , pI. ii, I2 (fore leg, d'). Loc.-Singapore, Sylhet, Chittagong, base of Darjiling Hills (Sukna, 500 ft.), Bengal, South India. coprophila, Meij., I906. Ann. Mus. Hung., iv, 178, d' ~ ,pI. ii, IO (fore leg, d'). Loc.-Singapore, Papua (Stephansort), South India, Calcutta, Bengal, Ceylon, Rangoon. humeralis, mihi, sp. nov., ci" Loc.-Simla, ? Shanghai. nepalensis, mihi, sp. nov., 9 Loc.-Nepal. bicolort Wied., 1830. Auss. Zweifl., ii, 468. iavanica, Meij., 1904. Bij d. Dierk., xviii, 107, pI. viii, 18 (fore leg, (jt). . .. id., Meij., J906. Ann. Mus. Hung., IV, 184, <:/' ~ , pI. 11, 13 (fore leg, ci'). Loc.-Java, Papua, Rangoon, Colombo, South India, Bengal, Darjiling, Sylhet, Nepal, Naini Tal. Also China, from whence originally described. N.R.-Herr Meijere's two diagrams of the fore leg do not agree. Specimens identified by ,me agree with his second figure. decipienst Meij., 1906. Ann. Mus. Hung., iv" I77, cf pl. ii, 9 (fore leg, d' ). Loc.-Papua (Stephansort). beckeri, Meij., I906. Loc. cit., 185,d' 9, pI. ii, 14 (fore leg,dt). LocI-Bombay, Singapore. 37 2 Records of the In.dian Museum. [VOL. III, I909.] pubipest mihi, sp. nov., 0"; pI. xiii, r6: r7, r8 (fore, middle; hind legs, d"). Itoc.-Nepal. fasciculata, mihi, sp. nov., d' Loc.-Ceylon, Calcutta. viduata, Thoms., r868. Eugene Resa, 587. Loc.-China, Assam, Eastern Himalayas, Bengal, Calcutta, South India, Rangoon, Batavia, Manila. N.B.-In addition to the above, all of which appear to be distinct species, the following have been described, the descrip­ tions being too brief or too weak for identification. S. nitens, Wied., 1824. Analec. Ent., 57, and (1830) Auss Z weifl., ii, 467. Loc .-China. N.B.-This is, according to Handlirsch (who kindly compared a specimen with the type r, quite distinct from both typical bicolor, Wied. (1 avanica, Meij.), and the red variety of bicolor, with which I had thought it might have been identical. S. lateralis, Wied., r830. Auss. Zweifl., ii, 468. Loc.-Chinal N.B.-A specimen in indifferent condition in the Indian Museum collection, incorrectly determined by .Bigot as this species, is my brevicosta. An example of my brevicosta, sent to the Vienna Museum, and kindly compared by Herr Handlirsch with Wiedemann's type, was returned as certainly distinct from that author's species.

S. complicatat Wied., r830. Auss. Zweifl., ii, 468. Loc.-China. S. testacea, Wlk., r860. Pro Linn. So. Lond., iv, r63, d' ~ Loc. -Macassar. S. frontalis, Wlk., r860. Loc. cit., iv, r63, 0" ~ Loc.-·Macassar.

N.B.-In this species Walker describes the d' as black, and the ~ as with a yellow thorax and black abdomen. This is the only jnstance to my knowledge in which the sexes differ in colour, with the ~xception of my new species dissimilis, in \v hich, however, the colours are reversed. S. revocans, Wlk., r860. Loc. cit., iv, r63, ~ Loc.-Macassar, Philippines. N.B.-As in none of these six descriptions is any mention made of a wing spot, the presumption is that they will all fall in the' ( wing clear" division of the genus. EXPLANATION OF PLA'rE XIII.

FIG. I.-Sepsis himalayensis, Brunetti, fore leg, d' " 2.- " "wing spot. ,I 3.-5. punctum, Fab., fore leg, d'

" 4.-5. /lava, Brunetti, fore leg J d' " 5.- n " hind leg, d' " 6.-5. tincta, Brunetti, fore leg, (jI "7.-,, "tip of (jI abdomen. , , 8.-5. dissimilis, Brunetti, fore ~eg, d' " 9.-5. indica, Wied., thorax. "10.-,, " " " I I .- , , " , , "12.-,, " " "13.-,, "fore leg, d' " 14.-5. adjuncta, Brunetti, fore leg, (jf " 15.-5. brevis, Brunetti, fore leg, (jf " 16.-·5. pubipes, Brunetti, 'fore leg, d' " 17.-' " "middle leg, r:jt " 18.- )' "hind leg, d' " 19.-Saltelia setigera, Brunetti, fore leg, d' Re:c. Ind. Mu~.,Vol.III, 1909. Plat et"XTIr.. .

'. 1 )(30. 2 . 6 )1.56.

.14".30. B ",.60.

8 )( 16. 10 )(30. 12 ~3CJ. ~7~30.

16 iBO.

5 )(.30.

1311.30. 18 )\30. XXVIII. A NEW SPECIES ,OF F RED E R I eEL L A FRO MIN D I AN L A K E S.

By N. ANNANDALE, D.Se., Sup~rintendent, Indian Museum.

FreaericelltCindi,ca, sp. nov. Zoarium delicate, branching 'sparsely, recumbetlt or with upright (or rather dependent), lax branches consisting of two or three zocecia only. Zo,(~cia very slender, distinctly but slightly 'emargtnate at the tip, w·th a strong furrowed ke,el running along the dorsal surface from the emargination; the external surfac.e minutely roughened, sometimes with sm:all sand grains adherent to it, practically colour­ less but imperf,ectly transparent. Lophophore bearing about twenty tentacles, which are of mod­ er~te length and very slender ; the web at their base very narrow" Alimentary canal elongated and slender, pr:actic:ally colourless.

St.atobJast of Fredericella indica (upper surface),. )(. 12Q.

Statoblast var1able in shape and size but as a rule broadly oval, sometimes kidney-shaped, surrounded by a stout chitinous ring and smooth on the surface of the lower valve; the upper valve covered with minute prominences the base of which is somewhat star-shaped and the apex rounded. The prominences sometimes cover the whole surface almost uniformly but are sometimes sparser in the middle than towards the edges,. Habitat.-Western India; under stones in Igatpuri lake, Western Ghats, Bombay Presidency, and 0 110wer surface of leaves of water-plants in Shasthancottah lake, Travancore; at both places taken by myself in November. The most definite charact,er in which this species differs from F. ,sultan,a is the ornamentation of the statoblast, but there also appear to be differences in the structure of the zoceciunl and the lophophore. F.rom F. tanganyika, of which the statoblasts are 374 Records of the Indian Museum. [VOL. III, 1909.] unknown, it differs in having emarginate zocecia with a well-defined furrowed keel and in not being thickly encrusted with compara­ tively large sand grains. At Shasthancottah the zoarium was found entangled with that of a delicate form of Plumatella Iruticosa which closely resembled i t extern~lly. With a little care, however, it was found possible to disentangle the two species. The point is important as tending to explain Jullien's 1 belief that Fredericella is merely an abnormal form of Plumatella J and in this connection I may state that in Scotland I have found. a statoblast of Plumatella adhering to and partially embedded in the ectocyst of Fredericella. F redericella has not hitherto been recorded from the Oriental Region, although F. sultana is said to occur in Australia as well as in Europe and North America.

1 Bull. Soc. Zool. FYance, vol. x, p. 121 (1893). XXIX. DIAGNOSES OF NEW SPECIES AN D V ARI ETI'ES OF FRESHWATER CRABS

By A. ALCOCK, F.R.S.

NO.4.

Genus Paratelphusat Edw. (Type: P. tridentata, Edw.) Subgenus Paratelphusa. Paratelphusa (Paratelphusa) trilobata, sp. nov. Differs from P. spinigera only in the following particulars :­ The carapace is flatter, and the (( cervical groove " is broader: its antero-Iateral border on either side is produced between the external-orbital and lateral-epibranchial spines into a broad and very prominent, laminar lobe. The subterminal spine on the upper border of the arm is blunt and -coarse. From Sibsagar, Assam: a single adult female.

Paratelphusa (Paratelphusa) blanfordi, sp. nov. This is an aberrant member of the subgenus, having no spines or lobes between the external-orbital and lateral-epibranchial tooth, and no spine on the upper border of the arm. It is, however, closely related to P. sp,inigera. It has much the appearance of P. spinigera except that its carapace is flatter; but is distinguished from that and every other Indian species but one in the form of the fingers, which have broad, blunt, (' spooned" tips. It has nothing to do with Paratelphusa spinescens, Calman, which' has spiny antero-Iateral borders and is not a Paratetphusa at aU since it has the simple mandibular palp of Potamon. From various places in Baluchistan: 10 males, 10 females.

Paratetphusa (Paratetphusa) grayi, sp. nov. This is very close indeed to P. sinensis, from which it differs only in the following particulars :- The "cervical groove" is distinct, and in places is almost deep: the front shows no trace of division into two lobes: the teeth Records of the Indian kl ~tseum. [VOL. III, of the antero-Iateral borders are not so sharp. The merus of the external maxillipeds is longer. The abdomen of the adult male is even more decidedly hour­ glass-shaped than in P. sinensis, the fifth segment being a long tapering joint, and the long sixth segment being narrower at its proximal end than in P. sinens£s. From Moung Sal, Makhok River: I3 males, IS females.

Subgenus Barytelphusa. (Type: Paratelphusa iacquemontii (Rathbun) - (( Telphusa indica" of many authors.)

Paratelphusa (Barytelphusa) lamellifrons, sp. nov. Very closely related to (' T elphusa indica," from which it may be recognised by the following characters :- The carapace is longer, and the ends of the wings of the (' cervical groove " are broad, superficial and vague. The fron~ is a very prominent, hardly-deflexed lamella. The distance between the tip of the external orbital tooth and the base of the epibranchial spine forms half the antero-Iateral border of the carapace. . The epigastric portion of the continuous post-orbital crest is as thin as the true post-orbital portion; the outer end of the crest forms a prominent, but undetached, lobe, and the edge of the whole .cre-st is elegantl y crenula te. Froln Travancore: I adult female, I young female.

Paratelphusa (Barytelphusa) edentula, Alcock. I have already mentioned this species as a variety of (( Potamon lugubre.'·' At that time, although I knew that the terminal joint of the mandibular palp was bifurcate in "Potamon lugubre" (= Telphusa lugubris, Wood-Mason), I did not realize tha.t the mandible was going to be so destructive to the established nomencla­ ture, and that Telphusa lugubris, ~Tood-Mason, belo{lgs to the present subgenus of Paratelphusa.

Parate,lphusa (Barytelphusa) napcea, Alcock. This has also been mentioned as a species of Potamo1t allied'to "Potamon lugubre" (Wood-Mason). It is very closely related to Paratelphusa (Barytelphusa) lugubre (Wood-M'ason).

Paratelphusa (Barytelphusa) pulvinata, sp. nov. This species is distinguished from everything in the subgenus (I) by the carapace, which is subcylindrical , with the cervical groove running in a long and comparatively narrow loop, as in Gecarcinucus, and (2) by the long, narrow, sixth abdominal segment of the, adult I909·] A. ALCOCK : New Freshwater Crabs. 377 male-the greatest breadth of this segment is barely two-thirds of its length. " From··Coorg and from Ootacamund: 6 males, 2 females.

Paratelphusa (Barytelphusa) pollicaris, sp. nov. Although this species comes from South India its closest relative is. t~e .Easte,rn Himalayan P. lugub~is (Wood-Mason). ,As in the type of :that species the carapace is fi3.ttish and about half of its an­ tero-Iateral borders lie in front of the late'ral epibranchial spine. ' The cervical groove is very deep and broad, and runs wide, to a point behi~d the much-retreated lateral" epibranchial denticle. The epigastric and post-orbital crests form one strong, nearly

straight ridgeJ whiGh runs, on either side, from the mesogastric furrow obliquely into the lateral epibranchial denticle. The fingers' are peculiarly broad, particularly the fixed-finger. From South India, probably Travancore: 3 males and 3 females, adult, and 6 non-adults, of small size. ',Subgenus Phricofelphusa (Type: Telphusa callianira, de Man). Paratelphusa (Ph1'icotelphusa) campestris, sp. nov.

Singular to tell, this species J from Barnagore near Calcutta, is so:,·close1y related to P. gageii from. an elevation of about 5,000 feet in the Eastern -Himalayas that, having only a si~gle. (male) individual to examine, I almost hesitate to separate it. ' It resembles a P. gageii that has been holy-stoned, the epigas.. tric crests being, not distinct elevations, but mere eroded patches; the post-orbital crests being low J blunt, and faint; and the lateral epibranchial tooth being entirely absent. . The carapace is more convex, and the antero-Iateral borders are blunt and ill defined. The colour is greenish yellow. In the single specimen-an adult male with a carapace j-ths of an inch long and i-ths btoad-'the exopodite of the external maxillipeds has no trace of a :flagellum. Subgenus Liotelphusa ('I'ype: Telphusa levis, Wood-Mason). Paratelphusa (Liotelphusa) levis (~Tood-Mason) var. quadrata. Wood-Mason did not separate this variety, but to me it seems worthy of recognition. The carapace is almost -square, and its

Paratelphusa (Liotelphusa) austrina, sp. nov. This species from South India is close to P.. levis, but is easily distinguisherl by the form of the front and of the male abdomen. The free edge of the front proper is quite distinct and separate from the antennular edge of the front, as it is in P. hydrodrontus (Herbst),. The three terminal segments of the male abdomen are much contracted; the sixth segment is narrow and has parallel sides, and its length exceeds its maximum breadth.

Subgenus Globitelphusa (Type: Paratelphusa bakeri). Paratelphusa (Globitelphusa) bakeri, sp. nov. Carapace broad, subcylindrical, with the regions barely dis­ tinguishable, the cervical groove being distinct Quly where it bounds the mesogastric area posteri,orly. Front broad, square-cut, almost vertically deflexed. External orbital angle and lateral epibranchial denticle insignifi- cant. • Epigastric crests just recognizable, post-orbital crests more distinct but still not conspicuous. Length of 6th abdominal segment just equal' to its distal preadth: 7th segment very much longer than broad. Mandibular palp as in P. tridentata, Edw. Exopodite of exter­ nal maxillipeds pointed, hairy, "non-flagellate. ;Exopodite of 1st and 2nd maxillipeds with a vestigial flagellum. Chelipeds unequal. Legs rather slender. Chiefly from Ganjam!n North Cachar: IO males, 8 females.

Paratelphusa (Globitelphusa) bakeri var. cylindrus. The cylindrical or barrel-like carapace has the branchial regions independently inflated in this variety. The epigastric crests are more distinct, and the post-orbital crests are less distinct, than in the type. From the Naga,Hills and from Assam: 9 males, I 'female.

Paratelphusa (Globitelphusa) pistorica, sp. nov. P., pistorica is like P. bakeri var. cylindrus in form. It differs in having the side walls of the carapace rugose, and in having the exopodites of the 1st and 2nd maxillipeds flagell~te: ,there may be a, papillary vestige of a flagellum on those of the external maxillipeds. , From Assam and Cachar: 8 ~ales, 7 females. The three following species have a squarish and flattish carapace quite unlike the broad cylindrical carapace of the three previous species; but as the epigastric and post-orbital crests and the lateral epibranchial spine are all insignificant, and the cervical groove is indistinct, and the exopodite of the external maxillipeds is 0 19 9.] A. A.I~COCK: New Fresh1.PJater Crabs. 379 non-:B.agellate, I include them in the subgenus GlobitelPhusa: all three are very small species and come from Mahableshwar.

Paratelphusa (Globitelphusa) gubernatoris, sp. nov. Carapace flat, square; (' cervical groove" reduced to a fine cres­ ceni bounding the mesogastric area posteriorly. Front broad, square, strongly deflexed. Epigastric crests just distinguishable: post-orbital crests distinct only at their out~r end . . Three terminal segments of male abdomen much contracted: . in the 6th segment the distal breadth slightly exceeds the proximal breadth and equals the length. Mandibular palp as in P. tridentata, Rdw. Chelipeds unequal: tips of fingers pointed. Legs long, none of the joints particularly hirsute. ~rom Mahableshwar: 35 males, 2~ females.

Paratelphusa (Globitelphusa) Pilosipes, sp. nov. Very like P. gubernatoris, but the epigastric and post-orbital crests can be imagined rather than discerned, a~d .the lateral epi­ bran<:hial tooth may be altogether absent. The .antennal flagellum is vestigial. The fuiger-tips are broad, blunt, and spooned. The dactyli of the legs are short and clumsy and are thickly clothed with t¢ts of bristles. . From Mahableshwar: 5 males. The question naturally arises: is this a second form of the m.ale of P. ~ubernatOYis ?

Paratetphusa (Globitelphusa) Ironto, sp. nov. Much like P. gubernatoris and Pilosipes, but the carapace is convex. Front of the adult immensely broad, half the maximllm breadth of the carapace. Lateral epibranchial tooili. distinct, very near the angle of the orbit. Epigastric and post-orbital crests very indistinct. Fifth segment of male abdomen very narrow, its length e.Q9a1 to its distal breadth: sixth segment also very narrow, its length considerably exceeds its distal breadth which is greater than its proxil11al breadth: seventh segment much longer than broad. Antennal flagellum much impacted and contracted: antennal flagel­ lum absent. Chelipeds unequal: fingers pointed. Legs studded all over with tufts of long, coarse bristles. From Mahableshwar: 23 males, 6 females.

Genus Gecarcinucus, Edw.

In this genus the front is a long, narrow, greatly deflexed lob~, hardly wjder than the orbit: the dactyli of the crawling legs are slender. In other respects it agrees with ParateZph1J,sa; and it is dp~btful whether the two genera are really distinct. Records of the Indian Museum. [VOL. III,

Subgenus Gecarcinucus (Type: G. iacquemontii, Edw.). In this subgenus the lower outer corner of the orbit forms a gutter-like recess and there is no trace of a lateral epibranchial denticle.

Gecarcinucus (Gecarcinucus) edwardsiJ Wood-Mason, sp. nov. Differs ,from. G .. jacquemontii in that the sides of theJront are convergent, and the 'finger-cleft and the. neighbouring part'of the inner surface of the palm .are covere9, with a thick, shaggy -mat of hair.· From Khandalla: one male.

Subgenus Cylindrotelphusa. (Type: Gecarcinuc.us st,eniops). Carapace and front as in Gecarcinucus, but ,the orbit is. of the usual form and there is a 'small hiteral epibranchial denticle.

Gecarcinucus (Cylindrotelphusa) steniops (Wood-Mason), sp. nov.

" Telphusa steniops,'~ Wood-Mason (MS'. name only)~ .Carapace subcylindrical.: "c~rvical' groove ~' fqrming·;.~ . long J;1arro~ loop ,. ~he. trend of. whic~ is fo.re-and-aft; very broad and d'eep and divjeJ,ing the carapace, into' tumid lobe-like regions. Front.. a long, narrow, square-cut, strongly-deflexe'd lobe, harCUy·.wl¢l.~r t4~n the orbit. Antero-lateral border$ of carapaceJull, blutit~.·coarsely <;;r~nate .:. ~, smap ~8: ter~l epibranchial to~.t~, pla<;ed <;lose to. tIj.e .orbit. Epigastric crests broad and low: post-orbital cr~sts low, blunt; .iP7" distinct, crenulate or broken in their outer' 'half. In . the stxth segment of male abdomen. the length equals or slightly exceeds the distal breadth: seventh segment a good deal·hinger than broad. ~ffer~nt bran~~ial openings subtub~lar. and expos~9.1 . as in Geca~cinucus (and in some species '<;>f Paratelphusa). 'Mandibular palp as in. Paratelphusa tridentata, Edw. Exopodites of all the maxillipeds ~ith a strong flagellum.' . , From Travancore: 14 males, l I females. With reference to my. last paper in this series; I ·find that a subgeneric name Oziotelphusa was given by P. Muller to " Telphusa·" hippocastanum, Mull.:;=" Potamon" hydrodromus· (Herbst). This name Oziotelphusa. must therefore be adopted for the subgenus Leschenaultia,. though I may explain that in using the name Oziotet­ phusa it is the bare name, and nothing but the bare natne, that: i accept. Paratelphusa "(Leschenaultia). hydrodromus' and bouvieri will, therefore, now stand as Paratelphusa (Oziotelphusa) hydro- dromus and bouvieri.· . . Again, I find that " Paratelphusa" nilotica, Edw., is not a .t~ue ParatelP.husa of the Paratelphusa tridentata', type; but has a simple mandIbular palp like those species (dayanum 'wood-masoni (~ edwardsi), crenuliferum, and martensi) which I h;ve here sepa­ rated as a subgenus of Potamon under the name of Paratelphusula. 19°9·] A. ALCOCK: New Freshwater Crabs. But, for reasons quite distinct from mine, Ortmann long ago made " Paratelphusa " nilotica the type of a subgenus of Potamon which he nanled A canthotelphusa. This name, therefore, must be substituted for Paratelphusula; and I am very glad of it, for II, Paratelphusula" is too much like "Paratelphusa," and the " Telphusidre " are confusing enough already. Potamon (Paratel­ phusula) dayanum, wood-masoni (= edwardsi NO.2), fungo sum , fete, calvum, crenuliferum, and martensi, will therefore now stand as Potamon (Acanthotelphusa) dayanum, wood-masont', lungosum, lete) calvun~, cren~tliferum, and martensi .

. "" ,. /' r. , .... , .. , ...... , ..... ,'-, ..... ''''''''' ,~ ..... , ... ''''

XXX. ON SOME NEW OR LITTLE-KNOWN MYGALOMORPH SPIDERS FROM THE ORIENTAL REGION AND AUS­ TRAI(ASIA

By STANLEY HIRST. [Published by permission of the Trustees of the British M use-um.] The following note contains the descriptions of a new genus and six new species of mygalomorph spiders, and also notes on some incompletely known species. The forms dealt with are nearly all from the Oriental region and are preserved in the collections of the British Museum (Nat. Rist.) or of the Indian Museum (Calcutta). The new genus diffe s from all other Oriental mygalomorph spiders in having a sound-producing organ between the mandibles.

Damarchus assamensis, sp. nov. Colour a more yellowish brown than D. oatesii, Thorell. Carapace considerably shorter than patella and tibia of first or fourth legs or than metatarsus of fourth. Anterior row of eyes more strongly procurved than in D. oatesii. Palp. Spine of palpal organ longer, as compared with the bulb, than is the case in D. oatesii (plate xxiv, fig. 8). Legs. Patella and tibia of first leg a little shorter than those of the fourth; metatarsus of first armed below towards the posterior side with I. I spines and with a pair of apical spines; its anterior surface unarmed. Metatarsus of the second leg armed in the same way as that of the first, but an additional anterior spine is present below and an antero-dorsal spine also. Tibia of first leg with its armature resembling that of the metatarsus of the second but with 1.1 uppe1'1 anterior spines; the large inner apical spine with its curvature less pronounced than that of D. oatesii (fig. 7). Tibia of second leg -lacking the inner ventral spine. Tibire and metatarsi of posterior legs armed below with a number of spines. Patella of third leg with two or three anterior spines. Tarst--of all four pairs of legs scopulate, the metatarsi of the anterior legs also scopulate apically. Measurements in mnt. 'rotal length I4 J length of carapace 7'25, of "first leg 24, of second leg 22'5, of third leg 2 I, of fourth leg 28. Material; A single adult tnale fronl Sibsagar, Assanl, collected by Mr. Peal. (Indian MuseUll1 collectiqn.) A ntunber of felUulc~ Records 01 the Indian Museum. [VOL. III~

were found in the same bottle, but they do not differ in structure from the female of D. oatesii.

Genus SELENOCOSMIA.

In 1897 Mr. R. I. Pocock 1 instituted a new genus Phlogiellu~ for a Selenocosmid spider in which the claws of the fourth leg are three, in number. This third claw is present, however,2 in the great majority of the species of Selenocosmi~ and Chilobrachys (including the type species of these two genera) and it will be necessary there­ fore to abandon the genus Phlogiellus and to regard it as a synonym of Selenocosmia. The division of the tarsal scopulre of the legs of all four pairs is ment~oned by Mr. Pocock in his description of P hlogiellus" and th,is character seems peculiar to the species for which the genus' was founded. It must be remembered, however, that the structure of th~ tarsal scopulre varies considerably both in $eletJocosmia- 'and Chilobrachys and can not be regarded as a satis­ factory generic character. In most of the species belonging to thes~ two genera the tarsi of the fourth legs alone are divided, bl;1t in S. s!irlingi, Hogg, the fourth tarsus is entire or very indisti~ctly divid~d. Whilst in S. insulana, sp. nov., S. sarawakensis, C. sericeus, Thorell; and C. subarmat'us, Thorell, the tarsal scopulre of both the posterior pairs are divided.

Selenocosmia honesta, sp. nov.

d" • Colour. Cephalothorax buff-coloured, appendag~s russet, the abdomen ochraceous. Carapace shorter than- patella and tibia of first or fourth legs and almost equalling metatarsus of fourth in length. Anterior row of 'eyes procurved; anterior medians a little closer to one another than to the anterior laterals. Mandible. furnished with long and fine "'bristles <,>n its outer surface. Palp. Numerous long, fine hairs, which are not set so, close together a~ in a typical Chilobrachys are present above the stri­ dulatory bacilli. Spine of palpal organ long, curved and rather thick, the point blunt and slightly enlarged (fig. 4). Legs 4, I, 2, 3. Patella and tibia of first leg a little shorter than the metatarsus and tarsus of fourth and much longer than its patella and tibia. Metatarsi of the three anterior legs scopulate for almost their entire length. Scopula of metatarsus of fourth leg occupying

I Abhandl. ~, Senckenb. natur/. Ges., xxiii, pp. 595-597, pI. xxv (1897). 2 In searching for this minute unpaired claw it is necessary to remove the ungual t~ft on one side and sometimes the pad supporting it also; great care must ?e used ln d~ing thi~ as the claw itself is easily destroyed. A third claw is present 1.n the.following spe~les-Se~enocosmia tuliginea, Thorell, S. himalayana, Poe., S. ~nerm.'ts, Auss., S·lavanens'ts, Walck., S. lanipes, Auss., and in the new species descnbed above ~ Chilobrachys brevipes, Thorell, C. /umosus, Poe., C. cervinus, Thorell, C. fi,mbnatus, Po~., C. hardwir;ki, Poe., C. nitelinus, Rarsch, C. sericeus, Thorell, C. stridulans, Wood-Mason, C. thorelli, Poc., and C. (NeochilobrQchys) subarmatus, Thorell. I9G9·] S. HIRST: Mygalomorph Spiders. more than two-thirds of the length of the segment and extending laterally almost to its base. Tarsal scopulre of the first three legs undivided, that of the fourth divided by a line of setre. Measurements in mm. Total ..length 41, length of carapace 20, of first leg 71 '5-, of second 65, of third 55·5, of fourth 74, of patella and tibia of first leg 27"5, of patella and tibia of fourth 25, of meta­ tarsus of fourth 20·5. l'v.lateriai. 'A single male from Fak Fak, Dutch New Guinea. (Brit. Mus. coll.) Selenocosmia insulana, sp. nov. cJt Colour. Carapace covered with short yellowish hair, the chitin below very dark; appendages fawn; abdomen with long cinnamon-coloured hairs. I Carapace shorter than patella and tibia of first or fourth legs, equal to patella and tibia of second or to metatarsus and tarsus of, first and slightly exceeding patella, tibia and tarsus ~f palp in length. Anterior me<;lian eyes further apart from one another than from the anterior laterals. Fovea small in extent. Mandible with the outer surface furnished with very long stridulatory setre . . : . Palp. Bacilli of coxa of palp very slender. Spine of palpal organ fairly long, curved and keeled, the terminal part slender (fig. 5). . Legs I J 4, 2, 3. First and fot1rth legs almost equal in length. Patella and tibia. of first leg equalling tibia, metatarsus and tarsus of third in length and considerably exceeding patella and tibia of fourth. Metatarsus of fourth a little longer than its tibia and equal in length to the tibia of the first. First and second pairs of legs with the tarsal scop'u1re undivided and with their metatarsi scopulate except at the base. Tibia of first leg also with a scopula which is especially thickened apically. Tarsal scopulre of the legs of the two posterior pairs divided by a line of setre. Metatarsus of fourth with a scopula (in which long hairs are intermingled) occupying almost two-thirds of the length of the segment. Claws of fourth leg three in number. Measurements in mm. Total length 18; length of carapace 9, of first leg 28'5, of second leg 24, of third leg 20, of fourth leg 27·5, of patella and tibia of first leg lI075, of patella and tibia of fourth 9·75 J of metatarsus of fourth 7. Material. A single adult male from Djampea Island (South of Salayer Island), collected by Mr. A. Everett. (Brit. Mus. colI.)

Selenocosmia obscura, sp. nov. cJt Colour. Carapace"pale brown, upper side of legs walnut- brown with narrow yellowish' apical bands, paler below; abdomen brown, the long hairs yellowish. Carapace much shorter than patella and tibia of first or fourth legs, slightly shorter, than metp.tarsus of fourth and slightly longer Records of the Indian Museum. [Vote ITI, than patella, tibia and tarsus of palp. Front row of eyes slightly pro curved , the medians a little further apart from one another than from the laterals. Mandible. Stridulatory setm of mandible very· long and fine. Palp. Bacilli of anterior surface of coxa of palp numerous and arranged in a number of rows. They are mostly rather fine and become finer until they shade in to the hairs above. Spine of palpal organ long, strongly curved and twisted, its basal part very wide and furnished with a strong keel which ends at the base of the spine in a projecting lobule. Basal part of spine very wide, the distal part very slender and the point not distinctly enlarged (fig. 6). Legs 4, I, 2, 3. Patella and tibia of first leg a little longer than the corresponding segments .of the fourth and a little shorter than the metatarsus and tarsus of the fourth. Metatarsus of fourth shorter than patella and tibia of second but ex~eeding patella and tibia of third in length. Tarsal scopulre of first and second legs entire, that of the third divided by a very fine line of setre and the fqurth by a distinct line of setre. Metatarsi of first and second legs scopu1~te for their entire length, metatarsus of fourth distally sco­ pulate. Fourth leg with three claws. Measurements in ·mm. Total length 26·5; length of carapace 12'75, of first leg 44'75, of second leg 38.5, of third leg 33'5, of fourth leg 47'5, of patella and tibia of first leg 17'5, of patella and tibia of fourth 16, of metatarsus of fourth 13'25. Material. A single adult male (the type) and· several young females from Sarawak, collected by Mr. C. Hose. (Brit. Mus. colI.) Remarks. This species is closely allied to S. inermis, Auss., chiefly differing from that species in its much larger size and in the greater length of the limbs as compared with the carapace.

Chilobrachys fumosus, Pocock. Musagetes fumosus, Poc., Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (6), xv, p. 174, pI. x, fig. 7 (1895); Chilobrachys fumosus; id., Fauna Brit. India, p. 196 (1900). d' Cephalothorax much shorter than patella and tibia of first or fourth legs and equalling metatarsus of fourth or patella and tibia of palp in length. Mandible with t~e spines on the outer side rather fine and a little longer than is usually the case in the genus Chilobrachys. Palp. Bacilli of coxa of palp with a well-marked band of hairs dorsally. Palpal organ with the spine long, slender and twisted. The bulb is traversed by a keel which runs along the spine forming the inner limit of a conspicuous groove. Terminal part of spine with the edges turned down so as to enclose a groove and with the edge of the outer side forming a projecting lateral lobe just before the point; the point itself being slightly enlarged (fig. 3). Legs 4) I) 2, 3. Patella and tibia of first and fourth legs almost equal in length. Metatarsi of anterior legs scopulate throughout their length, Inetatarsus of the fourth leg scopulate for lllore than a s. HmST: Mygalomorph Spiders.

third of its length, the scopula being divided by a line of bristles. Tarsi of legs of fourth pair alone divided and ending in three claws. Measurements in mm. Length of cephalothorax 14.25, its width 12 ; length of first leg 47, of second 42, of third 39, of fourth 52, of patella and tibia of first 18, of patella and tibia of fourth 17·5. Material. A male from Kurseong, Eastern Himalayas (Dr. N. Annandale). A male and four females from Sureil, Darj iling (Col. A. Alcock). A female specimen from Burroi, at the foot of the Dafia Hills. Remarks. The type is a female specimen labelled" North India.' , The specimens which I have identified as belonging to this species differ from the typical specimen in having the spines on the outer surface of the mandible more numerous and not so clearly arranged in rows. Chilobrachys assatnensis, sp. nov. e:/' Colour. Carapace yellowish; body and legs russet-brown, lower surface of body a little paler. Carapace much shorter than patella and tibia of first or fourth leg, longer than patella and tibia of palp and equal to metatarsus of fourth. Eyes of anterior row slightly procurved and subequal in size, the anterior medians further apart from one another than the anterior laterals. Fovea wide and only slightly procurved. M andible~ Outer surface of mandible furnished with slender setre which are not very long and are either arranged in definite rows or irregular in disposition. Palp. A narrow fringe of setose hairs with a metallic sheen, over­ hangs the bacilli. Spine of palpal organ short and with a spiral twist; the basal part broad, the narrowed apical portion short and blunt. A sharp keel traverses the bulb and runs along the spine, forming th~ outer limit of a deep groove, which is limited on the inner side by a second keel. A second slight groove makes its ap­ pearance towards the apex of the spine running parallel with the main groove, on its outer side (fig. I). Legs 4, I, 2, 3. Patella and tibia of first leg equal in length to or slightly longer than the patella and tibia of the fourth. Patella and tibia of third leg and palp equal in length. Metatarsi of first and second legs scopulate for almost their entire length; the scopwa of the fourth metatarsus occupying about a third of the length of the segment, and divided by a line of setre. Tarsal sco­ pulre of the three anterior pairs of legs undivided, that of the fourth being divided by a fine line of setre. Claws of the fourth leg three in number. Measurements in mm. Total length 25, length of carapace 10·5, of first leg 33·5, of second leg 29·5, of third 27, of fourth 36·75.J of patella and tibia of palp 9, of patella and tibia of first leg 12·5. 9 Carapace equal to or slightly less than patella and tibia of first or fourth leg and much less than uletatarsus and tarsus of fourth; width of anterior edge of carapace much less than the length of the Inetatarsus of the fourth leg. Records 01 the Indian Museum.

111 easurements in mm. Total length 25-'S, length of carapace 9'5, of first ~eg 25, of second leg 22, of third leg 20,. of fourth leg 27'5, of patella and tibia of fourth 9'5, of metatarsus of fourth 7'25. Material. 'A large number of males and females collected by Mr. S. E. Peal, at Sibsagar, Assam. (Ind; Mus. coll. and' Brit. Mus. coll.) Chilobrachys stridulans, Wood-Mason. Mygale stridulans, Wood-Mason; Proc. As. Soc. Bengal, p. 197 (1875); id., Tr.. Ent. Soc., p. 281, pI. vii (1877). Chilobrachys stridulans, Poc., Fauna Brit. India' (Arachnida), p. 198 '(1900). Musagetes masoni, Poc., Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (6), xv, p. 174., pI. x, fig. 6 (1895). Chilobrachys masoni, Poc., Fauna Brit. India (Arachnida), p. 197 (1900). Material. Two adult males and many females from Sibsagar, Assam (Peal coiL). Three males from Aideo (Peal coll.) and. a female from Goalpara, Assam. A male and ,two females from Punkabaree., Sikhim. Var. masoni, Poco Material. A male and a female from Silcuri, Cachar. Five females (the types) from Sylhet, Assam. Remarks. Both the male and female of Chilobrachys masoni, Poc., are very closely allied to C. stridulans, Wood-Mason, and only seem to differ in the broader and more conspicuous bands of white at the apices of the tibire, patellre, etc., of the limbs. Whilst these bands of white are clearly visible in the females of stridulans from Sibsagar, they are less conspicuous in the males accompanying them. I think that it would be best to regard C. masoni as a colour variety of C. stridulans.

Chilobrachys (Neochilobrachys) subarmatus, Thorell. Ischnocolus subarmatus, Thorell, Kongl. Sv. Vet. Akad. Handl., xxiv, No.2, p. 13 (1891). I. inermis (Auss.)·, Thorell, Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, XXXVii, p. 17.2 (1897). Phlogiellus subarmatus, Pocock, Fauna Brit. India (Arachnida), p. 202 (1900). Mandible. Outer surface of mandible furnished with short spinules. Palp. Anterior surface of coxa of palp with a single row of spiniform bacilli, which vary in number from two to six and have no band of hair above them (fig. 2). In young specimens the bacilli may be absent. Legs. Tarsal scopulre of first and second legs entire; tarsi of third and fourth legs with their scopulre divided by a line of setre, which is much wider in the case of the fourth leg. Fourth leg with three claws. I909·] S. HIRST: Mygalomorph Spiders~

Material. A single adult· male and numerous females from the Nicobars. (Ind. Mus. colI. and-Brit. Mus. coll.) Remarks. This interesting species is chiefly characterised by the structure of its stridulatory apparatus, the half which is situated on the coxa of the palp being exceptionally simple and elementary in character. I think that it would be best to institute a subgenus of Chilobrachys for it, and I propose the name Neochilobrachys for this new subgenus.

ANNANDALIELLA, gen. nov. Carapace. Thoracic fovea straight, transverse. Eyes of an- terior row strongly procurved. . Labium broader than long and spinulose apically. Sternum. Posterior sigilla of small size, widely separated from one another and separated from the margin by about one-and-a-half times their diameter. Mandibles with their inner surfaces furnished with a stridula­ tory organ consisting of an oblique row of spines, few in number; the two halves of the organ being exactly similar in structure. Legs ,slender. Tibire and metatarsi of anterior pairs armed with apical spines alone, below; tibire and metatarsi of posterior legs armed with a number of spines. Spinnerets. Upper spinnerets four-jointed, the apical segment being longer than the penultimate segment.

1 A nnandaliella travancorica, sp. nov.

~ Colour (specimen rubbed) pale yellowish brown. Carapace equal in length to patella and tibia of first or fourth legs, considerably longer than patella and tibia of second and a little shorter than patella, tibia and tarsus of palp. Anterior median eyes further apart from one another than from the elongate anterior la terals, and of smaller size. , Legs. Metatarsus of fourth leg equal in length to patella and tibia of second and almost equal to metatarsus and tarsus of third. Patella and tibia of third leg about equal to patella and tibia of palp. Metatarsus of first leg scopulate for almost its entire length; metatarsus of fourth only scopulate at the apex. Tarsal scopula of first leg undivided, that of the second faintly divided, and the scopulre of the tarsi of the third and fourth distinctly divided by a line of setre. ~tibia of first leg, and meta tarsi of first and second, armed below with a single apical spine; tibia of second with three apical spines. Tibia of fourth furnished ventrally with two strong spines and also with a number of apical ~pines; its anterior side with two spines, and the posterior with four. Metatarsus of fourth leg with I. I antero-~orsal spines and with postero-dorsal spines corresponding ------1 ~rhe stridulatory organ of this spider is described and figured itl A nne Mag. Nat. Hist. (8), ii, p. 402, text-fig. 3 (I908). 39° Records 01 the Indian Museum. [VOL, III, 1:909,] to them in position; its ventral surface armed with two.spines and with apical spines besides. Tibia and metatarsus of third leg also spined, Measurements in mm, Total length 28'S, length of carapace 12'5, of first leg 3°'75, of second 26'75, of third 26, ·of fourth 36'S, of patella, tibia and tarsus 'of palp 13;25, of patella and tibia of first leg 12'5, of metatarsus of fourth leg 10, Material, A single adult female from Travancore, (Ind, Mus, col1.) EXPLANATION OF PLATE XXIV.

FIG. r.-Chilobrachys assamensis, Hirst. ,,2.- " (Neochilobrachys) s'ttbarmatus, Thor. , , 3.- " fumosus, Poco 4.-Selenocosmia honesta, Hirst. " insulana, Hirst. " 5·- 6.- " obscura, Hirst. " 7.-Damarchus" assamens":s, Hirst. " 8.- , , " " " Bee . Ind. Mus., Vol. III. Igog. Plate XXIV

B.

3

s.